Eugene's observations

I suggest switching the computer on 5 - 10 minutes before you start using it. Similarly, close all applications 1 - 2 minutes before switching the computer off.

This is more so with later versions of Windows as the programs you run are remembered so that next time you start the computer, those programs can be moved into memory before they are called on. This makes them appear to start faster. This pre-population is more sophisticated though, remembering the order in which programs are run and their parameters. For more details, Google 'Microsoft SuperFetch'.

By starting Windows before you need to use it, you are giving time for the pre-population to happen. It is already competing with initialising the network connection and checking for updates to Windows and Internet security products. Minimising contention for computer resources at this time will make things seem to run faster.

When you close a program there are two components to shut down: the user interface and the background data processing activity. Often, the user interface is quick and easy to terminate, but open files and used memory need to be flushed out to disk before the back end can terminate.

By allowing a minute or two for this to happen before you switch off the PC, you are lessening the risk of ending a program prematurely and thereby introducing corruptions.