Can You Rely on Your Operating System
to Maintain Your PC’s Performance?
The operating system or OS remains, for many users, a bit of an afterthought. But as the glue holding everything together, it plays a critical role in your PC’s performance. Without an operating system, your computer wouldn’t be much more than a collection of metal, plastic and transistors.
Here are just a few of your operating system’s many responsibilities:
- Coordinating the demands software programs make on hardware, ensuring that each program gets its fair share of computing resources in an efficient way
- Providing a set of rules for how applications interface with hardware – which is key for developing devices that are compatible with a lot of different computers
- Managing access to hard drive, memory, monitors and other hardware
- Tracking where data is stored and how it’s used
For the most part your OS does a very good job of performing thousands of remarkably complex tasks and calculations at any given time. As powerful as it is, there are certain things your OS just doesn’t do well, and other things it becomes worse at as it ages.
Problems your operating system can’t fix
Over time, your operating system can fail to perform its tasks in an efficient way. Just like anyone constrained to a rather repetitive job, the OS can become error-prone and inefficient, which impairs PC performance. Here are some common problems that your OS can’t deal with:
- Distinguish between the good and the bad
Spyware or Malware can hitch a ride with other legitimate software right onto your PC. You can also get it from websites you visit, as well as various other methods. Most modern operating system offer some protection against the initial installation of malicious programs but once the program is on your computer it will often open automatically when you start your computer and your PC will treat it like any other application. - Understand all program files
When you get new hardware, like a printer, you install software and drivers that allow the device to work. Sometimes, however, this program is incompatible with your PC. When you try to use the device, you only get an error message. Without help, your OS doesn’t know how to complete the installation. - Run well all the time
You may find that your system keeps crashing when you open a certain application, or that it has become sluggish in all the tasks it tries to perform. This can occur due to corrupted files, fragmented hard drives, registry errors or many other reasons. Although operating systems have become better at performing self-maintenance in these areas, they still fall short of alleviating the problems.
Modern operating systems are impressive feats of software engineering, but they aren’t perfect. Third-party optimization products such as iolo technologies’ System Mechanic Pro are designed to pick up where the OS falls short, by performing maintenance automatically, keeping drivers up-to-date, and offering protection against malicious software. It may be worth adding a PC tune-up suite as a compliment to your operating system, to keep your PC running smoothly.
