Monday, November 19, 2001		Article

Cookies can slow down your PC
Vipul Verma

PERFORMANCE is the key word in the world of computers. Today the choice available in terms of price and performance is so large that it often becomes a problem for the computer user. In most of the cases, the computer user settles down with expensive PC on the pretext of buying a powerful machine. No doubt that an advanced machine would be capable of delivering better performance but it may not give the optimal performance if it is not configured properly. However well configured PC can offer much better performance than the so-called latest but not optimally configured PCs.

So, for getting the maximum from your PC, it is more important to configure it well for optimal performance. For example, under the default setting, the paging file size is not being set optimally. But it is important for improved performance of your PC. Therefore, for setting the virtual memory paging file for optimal configuration, first of all open System icon in Control Panel.

Now from the System properties window, click on the Advance Tab, and then click Performance Options. Under Virtual memory, click Change. Now in the Drive list, click the drive that contains the paging file you would like to change. Normally, you must choose the drive that has the largest free hard disk space left. Under the Paging file size for selected drive, type a new paging file size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set. Remember, higher the paging file size better it is for your system. As a ready reckoner, you can use the rule of thumb for working out the size of the paging file. According to this rule of thumb, the paging file size should not be less than two and a half times of the RAM installed on your system though, higher paging file size is better for the optimal performance. Moreover, you must restart your PC after you altered the paging file size as the changes would take effect only when the system is being restarted.

Regarding the best performance of the PC the best solution is to keep the PC clean from all the clutter. Normally, persons complain that over a period of time their PC has gone slow. Though there could be several reasons for the same yet one of the most prominent reason is that some unnecessary and unwanted small files, which, in fact, eat up a lot of system resources, clutter it. Therefore, it is always better to get rid of these files if they are no more required.

One such file is Cookies and cache memory files, which if not removed can substantially slow down the PC. Normally, people believe that if the cookies are kept stored, and also the cache memory is kept blocked by retaining the information, then the overall Internet performance will go up. Though the previously visited sites can be being easily accessed, if its cookie is placed on your hard disk, through the same browser, yet other than this little benefit, there is a lot, which your PC loses. Unless, there is something important, you must keep your cache memory clean and cookies removed. However, if there is anything, which you would like to keep for future reference and would like to visit again and again, then you must bookmark it.

The default setting of the PC may prove to be optimal in some cases, but in a majority of other cases there is always a scope for more value additions. Take, for example, the right click context menu. There is so much in this drop down menu utility but a lot can be added to it. One such thing is 'Open with utility' as for opening the files with some particular program a computer user has to bother a lot. However, it can be done very easily with the help of a simple tip. But before we proceed with this tip it is advisable that you take a back up of registry as this tip involves registry editing.

In order to add the Open With... Option to the Right Click Context Menu. First of all, Launch Regedit from the Run menu on the start option. Now scroll down to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ Unknown\ shell\ openas\ command. Note the (default) string in the right pane. See the value C:\ Windows\ rundll32.exe shell32.dll, OpenAs_RunDLL %1? Now, double click on (default) and hit Ctrl+C to copy the entire command line to the clipboard, click Cancel. Don't make any changes yet. Now go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ * and highlight the * (asterisk) key. Right-click the * and choose New Key. Name this new subkey shell. Now, right click the shell key and add a new subkey named openas. Right click openas and add another subkey named command. Now double click the (default) string in the right pane and hit Ctrl + V to paste that command line you copied earlier. Click OK to come out of the registry editing and then exit regedit. Now this setting will add, the Open With... Option, to the Right Click Context Menu.

You can still use the Open with... command on the Right Click Context Menu even with out editing registry. This can easily be done by simply holding down the Shift key and right clicking on the contents of the Windows explorer or any icon on your desktop. This will also give you the option of open with on the right click context menu. But, the registry editing can be considered as the permanent and a more convenient solution.

So, follow these and other performance boosting tips and get the maximum from your PC.