Optimize your windows vista/7 for better performance

1. Delete the programs you don't use:
If you pc/laptop have lots of programs installed it will become slow. So uninstall the programs you don't use.
how to uninstall a program?

You can uninstall a program from your computer if you no longer use it or if you want to free up space on your hard disk. You can use Programs and Features to uninstall programs or to change the program's configuration by adding or removing certain options.

1. Open Programs and Features by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then clicking Programs and Features.
2. Select a program, and then click Uninstall. Some programs include the option to change or repair the program in addition to uninstalling it. but many simply offer the option to uninstall. To change a program, click Change or Repair.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Limit programs during startup:
Limit how many program will start during the start up.
How to limit?

1. Open Windows Defender by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Defender.
2. Click the Tools button, and then click Software Explorer.
3. In the Category box, click Startup Programs.
4. Select the program that you want to prevent from running, and then click Disable.
5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to stop that program from running.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for every program you want stop from running.
   
    
   
   

   Defragment the hard drive:

   1. Open Disk Defragmenter by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Defragmenter.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   2. Click Defragment Now. It will take some time.
      
      
      Add more memory:
      If you have 512MB/1GB Ram. Then include another ram to improve your pc performance.
      Check for virus: 
      Virus and other spyware can make your pc slow. Use a strong anti-virus and update it regularly to protect your pc.
   
   

Sound Card Problem

1. Check your sound card if it is set up properly. Check to make sure your computer has a sound card, or sound processor, and it's working properly. Do one of the following:
a) If you're running Windows 7 or Windows Vista, click the Start button , click Control Panel, click System and Security, and then, under System, click Device Manager.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
b) If you're running Windows XP, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click System, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Double-click Sound, video and game controllers to expand that category. If a sound card is listed, you have one installed. If no sound card is listed, check the information that came with your computer to see if there's supposed to be a sound card installed. If there should be a sound card installed, you'll need to install one. If you think you have a sound card installed, but you don't see it under the Sound, video and game controllers category, expand the Other devices category and check any devices listed there.

If there's a yellow question mark next to the name of the sound card in Device Manager, there might be a problem.

Right-click the name of the sound card, and then click Properties.

Click the General tab, and then look in the Device status box to identify problems with the sound card.

If there's a problem, you might need a new driver for your sound card.

Check if the cables are connected properly

HDMI Cables:

If you're using an HDMI cable to connect your computer to an HDMI-capable monitor with speakers, you might not be able to hear sound. HDMI cables support audio signals, but not all HDMI-enabled video cards support audio. If your HDMI-enabled video card does support audio, you might also need to set the HDMI audio device as the default audio device. To check if sound is supported via HDMI, follow these steps:

Windows 7 and Windows Vista

1. Click the Start button , and then click Control Panel. In the search box, type sound, and then click Sound.
2. Click the Playback tab, and then look for an HDMI device. This appears as a speaker icon and is labeled as Speaker, followed by the name of the device.
3. If you have an HDMI device, click the device, click Set Default, and then click OK.
   Changing the audio device might require you to restart your computer.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices.
2. Click Sounds and Audio Devices, and then click the Audio tab.
3. In the Sound playback section, under Default device, click the drop-down list next to the device name, and then look for an HDMI audio device.
4. If you have an HDMI audio device, click the device, and then click OK.
   Changing the audio device might require you to restart your computer.

If your HDMI-enabled video card supports audio, your HDMI-capable monitor should have an audio input, but you might need to connect a separate audio cable from your computer directly to the monitor. If the monitor doesn't have speakers, you'll need to connect a separate audio cable to a different device, such as external computer speakers or your home stereo system.

Some video cards with an HDMI output require you to connect a wire from your video card to the sound device. This usually requires a small wire connection inside your computer from the video card to the sound card. Check the manual that came with your video card for instructions on how this should be done.

If you just installed a new HDMI-enabled video card, it's possible that the video card installation software set your video card as the default audio device. In this case, you'll need to set your preferred video card as the default audio device to fix the problem. See the instructions above for help setting the default audio device.

USB Audio:

If you're using a USB audio device in addition to an existing audio device, the USB audio device might not be set as the default audio device. Try these basic troubleshooting steps:

• Unplug the USB audio device, restart your audio program, and check for sound. If you hear sound, there might be issues with the USB audio driver or with Windows not using the USB audio device as the default audio device.
• Close all audio programs, unplug the USB audio device, and wait for the USB driver to be uninstalled (this should happen fairly quickly). Next, plug the USB audio device back in to the USB port, wait for the driver to reinstall, and then start the audio program and check for sound.
• Check that you have the correct audio device set as the default audio device in Windows and in the audio program. To set the USB audio device as the default, follow the steps below in "Multiple audio devices."
• Check the audio device manufacturer's website for updated drivers.
  
  

 

Hard Drive Problem

Drive does not spin up (no drive lights) :
When hard drive does not spin up and the drive light doesn't illuminate during the power-up, check the following:   
1. Make sure that, the hard drive power connector and ribbon cable are connected properly.
2. Swap the hard drive.

Drive spins but the computer is not booting:
When the drive spins and drive lights are illuminated, but the computer is not boot from the hard drive, check the following:
1. Run the BIOS setup program and make sure that the drive and the controller are enabled. And also make sure the drive has the correct parameters (it is recommended to use the Auto Detect setting).
2. For IDE drives, check the jumper settings of all of the IDE devices (master, slave).

3. For SCSI drives: Check the jumper settings of all SCSI devices. Make sure the primary hard disk is set to SCSI ID 0. Check during POST to see if the SCSI BIOS is loading and finding any SCSI devices. If not, check the host adapter installation including IRQ, DMA and I/O settings.

4. Make sure all device drivers have been installed correctly.

5. Swap the controller card, cable and hard drive, one at a time. 

Drive spins but the system does not recognize the drive:

A drive that is not recognized by the system may exhibit any number of symptoms, including the following error messages:

1. No Fixed Disk Present.

2. Error reading fixed disk.

3. Non-System disk or disk error, Replace and strike any key when ready

4. No ROM Basic

5. Disk Boot Error, Replace and Strike Key to Retry

6. DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

7. BOOT: Couldn't find NTLDR, Please insert another disk

Check the following elemnts:
1. If you are trying to boot from the hard drive, make sure there is no disk in drive A.
2. If you are trying to boot from the floppy disk drive, try to boot from the hard drive and then access the floppy disk. Then try to make sure that the disk has the necessary boot files and that the necessary boot files are not corrupt.
3. If you are trying to boot from the floppy disk drive, try to boot from another bootable floppy disk.
4. Make sure the hard drive power connector and ribbon cable are connected.
5. For hard drives, verify the primary partition is active.
6. In BIOS setup, make sure the correct settings are chosen for the drive and make sure the hard drive and floppy controllers are enabled. (it is recommended to use the Auto Detect setting).
7. In BIOS setup, check the boot order.
8. If you have two drives on the same IDE cable, try swapping the master/slave.
9. For IDE drives, check the jumper settings of all of the IDE devices (master, slave).
10. For SCSI drives: Check the jumper settings of all SCSI devices. Make sure the primary hard disk is set to SCSI ID 0. Check during POST to see if the SCSI BIOS is loading and finding any SCSI devices. If not, check the host adapter installation including IRQ, DMA and I/O settings.
11. If using a removable/mobile IDE rack for the hard drive, verify the drive tray has been locked.
12. Make sure all device drivers have been installed correctly


“Hard disk controller failure” message:
Any of the following error messages indicate that the computer can not communicate with the hard drive:
1. Hard Disk Failure
2. Hard Disk Controller Failure
3. HDD Controller Failure

Check the following:
1. Make sure the hard drive power connector and ribbon cable are connected.
2. In BIOS setup, make sure the correct settings are chosen for the drive and make sure the hard drive and floppy controllers are enabled. (it is recommended to use the Auto Detect setting).
3. In BIOS setup, check the boot order.
4. For IDE drives, check the jumper settings of all of the IDE devices (master, slave).
5. For SCSI drives: Check the jumper settings of all SCSI devices. Make sure the primary hard disk is set to SCSI ID 0. Check during POST to see if the SCSI BIOS is loading and finding any SCSI devices. If not, check the host adapter installation including IRQ, DMA and I/O settings.

"Error reading drive C:" message :
Check the following.
1. Make sure the hard drive power connector and ribbon cable are connected.
2. In BIOS setup, make sure the correct settings are chosen for the drive and make sure the hard drive and floppy controllers are enabled. (it is recommended to use the Auto Detect setting).
3. Check for viruses.
4. Run ScanDisk or some other similar utility.
5. Swap the controller card, cable and hard drive, one at a time.
6. Try to reformat the drive and make the drive bootable again.
7. Try a low-level format. Then partition, format and add the system files to the hard drive.

Drive works as primary drive but not as secondary (or vice-versa) :
Check the following:
1. Make sure the hard drive power connector and ribbon cable are connected.
2. In BIOS setup, make sure the correct settings are chosen for the drive and make sure the hard drive and floppy controllers are enabled. (it is recommended to use the Auto Detect setting).
3. In BIOS setup, check the boot order.
4. Verify the primary partition is active.
5. For IDE drives, check the jumper settings of all of the IDE devices (master, slave).

Hard drive runs slow :
If the hard drive seems to be running slow, check the following:
1. Check for viruses.
2. Defrag the hard drive.
3. Check to see if you have a slow device on the cable.
4. For IDE drives, in BIOS setup, check to see if it is set to Ultra DMA or PIO mode. Ultra DMA is faster, as long as the drive supports it.
5. For SCSI drives: Check the jumper settings of all SCSI devices. Make sure the primary hard disk is set to SCSI ID 0. Enter the SCSI BIOS and check the settings
6. Check if anyone did a low-level format on the drive. If they don't use the proper low-level format program, essential tracking information could have been erased.

Frequent drive failures :
If you experience frequent drive failures, check the following:
1. Make sure all chassis fans are working properly. The system may be overheating.
2. Make sure you are using the proper screws in mounting the drives in the case.
3. Check for low-level vibrations.
4. Check for power fluctuations. Make sure you have a reliable surge protector.
5. Use a voltmeter to verify that each output from the power supply is correct. If any output is very low (especially the +5 volt output), replace the power supply.
6. Check other environment factors such as smoke, heavy dust, high humidity and anything that may generate a strong electromagnetic field such as heavy machinery and motors.