Monday, 13 February 2017
How to Make Your Dell Laptop Run Faster
Speed
up your Dell laptop by running maintenance utilities that come with the
machine and upgrading your memory modules. Dell systems offer the
ability to easily upgrade the RAM to the full capacity of the
motherboard or operating system. Microsoft Windows also includes several
tools which help to speed up a computer that has been in use for a
period of time by cleaning up temporary files and organizing the hard
drive.
System Maintenance
Back up any
important files on the Dell laptop before upgrading or performing any
maintenance on it. Use an external location such as a network folder or
USB flash drive to back up your information, or store the files on a
blank optical disc.
Click the "Start"
icon. Select "Computer" and then right-click the primary hard drive,
which is typically the "C" drive. Select the General tab. Click
"Properties" and then click "Disk Cleanup." Click to place a check mark
in any boxes not already checked and then click "OK." Select "Delete
Files" to proceed with the cleanup.
Click the "Start"
icon. Select "Computer" and then right-click the primary hard drive.
Select the Tools tab. Click "Properties" and then click "Check Now."
Click to check the box next to "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad
sectors," then click "Start." Select "Schedule Disk Check" to set the
maintenance routine to run the next time the computer is reboots. Close
any open programs or files, then click "Start" and "Restart" to restart
the computer and allow the disk check to complete.
Click the "Start"
icon. Select "Computer" and then right-click the primary hard drive.
Select the Tools tab. Click "Properties" and then click "Defragment
Now." Click the primary drive, typically the "C" drive, then click
"Defragment Disk" to launch the utility. Supply the administrator
password if prompted to run the utility.
Upgrade the RAM
Locate the service
tag number on a sticker on the bottom of the Dell laptop. Also, write
down the unit's model and serial number available on the same sticker
that contains the service tag number.
Launch a Web browser and navigate to dell.com.
Use the utilities on
the site to determine the available memory capacity of the particular
laptop based upon the service tag information or on the brand and model
number of the computer. Sites vary slightly in the interface they use
for this information. Contact technical support at Dell to get specific
advice as to the maximum amount or type of memory if necessary.
Power off the
computer and close the lid. Remove the memory compartment cover on the
bottom of the laptop and remove the existing RAM modules by gently
spreading the small metal retention clips apart until the modules spring
up. Pull them straight out of the system and replace them with the new
modules at the same angle. Push the modules down until the clips snap
into place. Close the compartment cover.
Obtain the maximum
amount of RAM that the computer will support and replace all of the
existing RAM to ensure compatibility and avoid any conflicts due to
different speed memory modules.
RAM modules are static sensitive and should be handled only when wearing a protective anti-static device.
References & Resources:
