PC Optimization Tips
6 Ways to immediately SPEED-UP your Slow Computer
Take a few minutes to go through this list of suggestions- Id be willing to bet you can increase Computer speed, possibly dramatically, by following these Basic PC Speed best practises.
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Being a computer owner can be tough. Granted, a computer allows for easy web surfing, file downloading, and instant communication via messenger programs and email, but it comes at a price: maintenance time. Owners need to know how to maintain their computers in order to avoid hang-ups, slow computer problems, and other frustrating computer issues.
If you don’t know how to perform basic maintenance for your computer, you won’t be surfing, downloading, or chatting for long, especially if you use your computer constantly. Computers need to be tuned up to keep their speed up, and without proper maintenance, can slow to a snail’s pace. A few simple tasks, performed regularly, can add years to your computer’s lifespan.
Uninstall Old Programs: Simple first step to improve slow computer performance
Some people go through several printers before replacing their computers, and all of those printers have their own software. Unless you uninstall it, it will remain on the computer indefinitely, filling hard drive space and possibly wasting system resources. The same goes for old, unused games and other software. Open up “add/remove programs,” from the control panel in Windows XP. If you have the Vista operating system, open the control panel, and then “all programs.” Uninstall anything you don’t use anymore. If you don’t know whether a particular program is important, research it before making any changes to it.
Need more ideas to improve slow computer performance?
- Laptop Runs Excessively Slow
- Slow Download Times
- Computer Acting Crazy: Spyware and Viruses
- Uninstall Unwanted Programs
- Speeding Up Slow Startup
- Computer Still Slow after Virus
- Speeding up Dialup Access
- Computer is Suddenly Slow
Remove Startup Items: Slow computer performance will improve right away!
Startup items are programs set to run as soon as your computer starts up. Many of them are useless, working more in the interests of software companies than in the interests of your personal computer. To turn off startup items, just open the “run” window, type “msconfig,” and click the “startup” tab in the window that pops up. All of the checked items in the list that appears are set to run on startup.
Research the listed items with a web search and uncheck the ones that you don’t need. Remember, this doesn’t uninstall anything, and most unchecked items can still be run manually from the “all programs” list. You will have to restart the computer in order for the changes to take effect. Check up on the startup items list every month or so.
Run the Disk Cleanup Utility: See what’s causing slow and lagging computer speeds
The Disk Cleanup is always included with both Windows XP and Windows Vista. It’s a tool used to clean up (that is, delete) old, unnecessary files in your computer’s browsing history, error logs, temporary folders, and more. You can access this utility by opening the “start” menu, opening “all programs,” finding “accessories,” then finally, locating “system tools.”
Make sure every box in the Disk Cleanup’s list is checked off except for one, which may or may not appear: “Compress old files.” This option sacrifices speed for a bit of extra hard drive space, and is usually detrimental to a computer’s performance. Use the Disk Cleanup every month.
Run the Disk Defragmenter
The Disk Defragmenter can be found in the same folder as the Disk Cleanup Utility: “system tools.” It’s incredibly easy to run, as all you have to do once the program is open is click the “defragment” button to start defragmenting. It’s a good idea to do this when you do not expect need the computer for a while, as the process can take several hours. Computer users often choose to run the defragmenter overnight.
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The Disk Defragmenter should be used every month or so. If you are not sure whether your computer needs to be defragmented, the Windows XP version has an “analyze” button which allows you see a diagram of how disorganized and fragmented your hard drive is. Just remember that the more red you see in the diagram, the more important it is to run the Defragmenter. Windows Vista’s defragmenter lacks this function, but many disk defragmenting programs are available with this function. Most can be downloaded for free, safely on the Internet.
Scan for Malware
Antivirus programs are no use to you if you don’t perform regular scans for viruses, adware, and spyware. Scan your whole computer once a week, and scan frequently-used folders (like the ‘downloads’ folder of a file sharing program) even more often than that: every day.
Clear the Desktop
A cleared-off desktop not only helps your profile load a bit faster when you log on to your computer, it will also help you remain organized, allowing you to work faster. Put pictures into your “My Pictures” folder, and move documents into the “My Documents” folder. Delete any installers that you have already used and any shortcuts (the icons with the little arrows in the corners) that you never use. If you don’t know what something is, put it in a folder titled “I don’t know,” and ask your computer-savvy friend about it the next time you chat.
If you want to keep email more time-efficient than an in-person visit, be sure to maintain your computer. It comes with tools, and extra tools are downloadable. You have no excuse not to use them!
Why not run a free registry scan, you may be surprised by the number of critical problems found!
An optimally running computer system makes working and playing a breeze. Rather than suffer through slow operating times, delayed responses, application errors and system crashes, if you prepare and maintain your system at its optimal levels, you can get the most enjoyment and productivity out of your computer.