1. System requirements
2. Diagnostics
3. Check Internet Explorer
4. Find out what programs are running
5. Common slowdowns
6. Changing what programs run when you start your computer
7. Updating your computer

To see what kind of hardware is installed on your computer, you can use a tool that is built-in to Microsoft Windows called DirectX Diagnostics. To run this program, click the "Start" button, go to "Run..." and type " dxdiag ". Click OK and let the program start (you can see a progress bar near the bottom left). The first screen that appears will tell you some details of your computer system, like CPU (processor) speed, system memory, and operating system. If you click the "Display" tab along the top, you will see more information detailing your graphics and display settings. Compare your settings to the specifications outlined in our system requirements to see if your hardware is capable of running 3D models in SimView.

To check your version of Internet Explorer, run the program by double-clicking the associated icon, or selecting "Microsoft Internet Explorer" from the Start Menu. Once it is open, click on the "Help" menu and choose "About Internet Explorer". The first line of text shows what version is installed. It should be "Version: 6.0.2900" or higher. You can update your copy of Internet Explorer by going to http://updates.microsoft.com and following the steps provided by Microsoft.

Here's some things you can do to see what programs are currently running on your computer. Open Windows Task Manager and go to the Processes tab. Sort by Username, and you'll see the items grouped together by the user that started the process. Most will say "SYSTEM", "LOCAL SERVICE" or "NETWORK SERVICE", these items should not usually be manually terminated. Items that were started by your username should be evaluated to determine whether or not it's something you need. On a relatively clean computer, you will see anywhere from 2 - 4 processes (under your username) running while no programs are being run. If you have many more than 4, there's probably some that can be eliminated. Terminating a process does not delete the program or prevent it from running again the next time you start your computer. If you need to disable a program, you can remove it from the Control Panel or stop it from being run automaically. Read more about this below.

If you have a lot of different applications running, your available memory can be too low for SimView to run properly. You can check your memory usage in the Task Manager by clicking the "Performance" tab at the top. Windows uses a few different kinds of memory; one is called Virtual Memory which uses disk space on your hard drive to temporarily store and retrieve data. This memory is typically much more plentiful than Physical Memory, but not nearly as fast. Physical Memory is also known as RAM, and is the fastest way for programs to communicate with your computer hardware. You can increase the size of your Virtual Memory to help performance, but adding Physical Memory will be of greater overall benefit. To change your Virtual Memory settings: Click the "Start" button, go to Control Panel and choose "System". Click the "Advanced" tab at the top, then the "Settings" button under Performance. On the next screen, select the "Advanced" tab at the top, and you will see a screen showing your Virtual Memory settings (near the bottom). Click the "Change" button, and you'll be able to set some values . The proper values can range depending on your computer, but it's a good idea to have at least 1000MB allocated to Virtual Memory.

Other common problems that cause slow performance:

• Low Disk Space
• Heavy Fragmentation
• Running another graphics program
• Adware, Spyware and Viruses

If you want to control what programs get run automatically when Windows starts, do the following:

Start > Run... > msconfig (OK)
Select the last tab (Startup)
Examine the items there, uncheck any programs you do not want to be run at startup.
Click OK, and restart. You'll see a warning message the next time you log in, just letting you know that the startup procedure was altered.

Here's an example of some of the items that can safely be disabled in the startup process (you can still use them when you want to):

Media players
Instant Messengers
CD-burning applications
Microsoft Office
FastFind

There are some items you might need for your computer to operate normally, don't remove anything that you don't know about for sure. One way to see what a file or process relates to is to look at the path it is being run from. Or you can get on the internet and use a search engine like www.google.com to search for the filename for more information.

Sometimes, computers get infected with unwanted programs that install themselves and potentially disrupt data or deploy other harmful operations. Unfortunately, these programs are quite common on the internet, and can be causing your computer to operate much slower than it should be. There are some tools that can be used to detect and remove these threats, and we recommend that you use those tools regularly. Here are some examples of programs you can download to find and fix problems:

Ad-Aware Personal Edition (Free, option to buy)
AVG AntiVirus (Free trial, option to buy)

Sometimes these programs can be very difficult to remove. If you cannot figure out how to get rid of a program, chances are that someone else has run into the same problem. Try searching the internet for the name of the program you want to get rid of. Many times, there are websites devoted to explaining the removal process for some of those annoying malware programs.

A "driver" is a software program that tells your operating system how to interact with a specific piece of hardware. As new programs are developed and new computer hardware is released, the drivers for your hardware may need to be updated. You can usually find these at the website of the company that made your computer. For instance, if you have a Dell computer, you can go to support.dell.com and input your computer model. You'll then be able to select specific pieces of hardware, and choose the appropriate update to download. The most common devices that need upgrading are: Video Card, Motherboard, and Sound Card.

You'll also want to keep up to date with the latest security patches from Microsoft. These patches usually fix compatibility problems and potential exploits. You can get the latest updates from Microsofts Web Site. In Internet Explorer, you can pick the "Tools" menu and choose "Windows Update" to be taken directly to the appropriate web page.

Some links to common manufacturers:

• www.dell.com (Computers)
• www.gateway.com (Computers)
• www.alienware.com (Computers)
• www.nvidia.com (Graphics cards)
• www.ati.com (Graphics cards)
• www.matrox.com (Graphics cards)
• www.creative.com (Sound Cards)