Essay #3 Final Draft

Ben La Scola

Dr. Kerr

EN 101-05

October 25, 2011

Computer Performance Degradation

A common issue for anyone who uses a computer is performance degradation. Sometimes performance degradation goes unnoticed or is assumed inevitable. Performance degradation is when it takes a computer longer to accomplish a task than it has in the past. A freshly installed Windows operating system will boot in under one minute; over time it will slow and take a substantially longer time to boot. The term boot is used describe the process by which the computer goes through when it turns on to load the operating system and prepares the system for use. This is an excellent example of performance degradation. Malware, file fragmentation, and the registry database are the three main reasons for performance degradation.

Malware is not only the biggest problem of performance degradation but it can cause a computer to completely freeze or shutdown. Malware is a term that describes malicious software installed on a computer. Malware is spyware or adware (Holetzky). Key loggers, worms, and trojan horses are all types of malware. Key loggers do exactly what the name depicts, it records everything typed and sends the data back to whoever placed it on that computer (Holznagel). Key loggers are looking for passwords or bank account information (Holznagel). Worms are self-contained malware that can copy themselves across networks or servers. A worms purpose is to slow down or shutdown a computer. The worm accomplishes this by copying itself up to 250,000 times over a period of three hours (Holetzky). This can slow down a computer because the process of copying itself so many times can occupy a large amount of bandwidth and ram (Holetzky). Trojan horses are files that appear to be legitimate and safe however when opened they will put other malware on one’s computer or even leave a “back door” for someone who wants to access one’s personal information (Holetzky). Andreas Marx, an antivirus software specialist at the University of Magdeburg in Germany, believes that Trojan horses are “the future of malware attacks.”

File fragmentation is one of the major causes for performance degradation. As Manny Carvalho, an author at ComputerHaven.info and awardee of the Microsoft MVP in the Windows Shell/User category in October 2003 and again in 2004 says “Imagine if someone had all of their credit card receipts in different manila folders split amongst 7 filing cabinets.  They would have to go from cabinet to cabinet to track down information they might need.” File fragmentation is when files are split into separated parts and stored in multiple locations (What Is File). Fragmentation can occur when files are added, deleted, or changed (Carvalho). The best way to store files on a disk is to keep each piece of a file near each other. This is best because then the disk reader can find the location of the first piece and simply read straight through (What Is File). As files are added, removed, or changed, gaps appear where the data used to be (Carvalho).

The registry database is commonly an unsuspected cause of performance degradation. Lawrence Abrams, the creator of BleedingComputer.com and awardee of a Microsoft MVP in Windows Consumer Security, states that the registry database is a “key component of the Windows operating system. It is so important, that without it, Windows would not even run.” The registry database is used in Microsoft Windows to store information that is essential in configuring the system for the users, applications, and hardware devices (Windows Registry). The registry database can overtime become unoptimized or corrupted from malware, excessive deleting, or incorrect management of files (Kent). The more data that a computer is subjected to the more the database grows (Kent). An example of this is if a flash drive is plugged in the information might remain on the registry even after disconnecting it.

There are many causes of performance degradation. Malware, file fragmentation, and registry database corruption are some of the biggest causes. An effect of performance degradation is the slowing down of a computer and an increased time in accomplishing tasks such as booting the operating system, running an application, and running a program. Malware can be prevented by use of antivirus software and a good firewall. File fragmentation can be fixed by running a defragment program. The registry database can be corrected by following these steps at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545.

Works Cited

Carvalho, Manny. "What Is Fragmentation?" Computer Haven Home. Web. 22 Oct. 2011. <http://www.computerhaven.info/defrag.aspx>.

Holetzky, Sherry. "What Is Malware?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Ed. Lindsay D. Web. 22 Oct. 2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-malware.htm>.

Holznagel, Fritz. "20 Things I Learned About Browsers And The Web." 20 Things I Learned. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.20thingsilearned.com/en-US/malware/2>.

Kent, Hugh. "Windows XP Performance Degradation." Ezine Articles. Web. 22 Oct. 2011. <http://ezinearticles.com/?Windows-XP-Performance-Degradation&id=1170432>.

"What Is File Fragmentation?" Of Zen & Computing - Clear Answers to Common Computing Questions. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/zanswers/985/>.

"Windows Registry Information for Advanced Users." Microsoft Support. Web. 22 Oct. 2011. <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986>.