You want a fast computer? Sure, we all want that. But, did you know that there are three easy steps that you can take in order to achieve this?  Follow these three little rules an you will have your PC  back up and burning through RAM in no time flat.

Step 1: Cleaning out your closet

If you do a lot of stuff on your computer, it is important to set aside time once a month in order to take stock, assess, roll up your sleeves, and get some cleaning done. If your hard drive is cluttered with documents, pictures, videos and mp3 files, you might want to burn what you do not really need to a disk and then erase them from your hard drive. Also check out your control panel and see if you have any programs that you are not using and remove them.  After this, you then want to go over to the tools menu of your start menu’s accessory tab and  click on “disk cleanup”. This will remove any garbage that has been sitting around as well as give you the option to remove all the temporary files  that you computer has downloaded from the internet.

After cleaning out your closet so to speak, it is now time to put everything else in those handy space saver vacuum bags that you see on television. Metaphorically speaking, the “defrag” option in your tools menu performs the role of space saver quite adequately. It will compress all your files into efficient little packages so that your computer can find them faster.

Step 2: Your Registry

While some people might snort at the idea that your registry can slog your computer down, I can attest that it really does, especially  if you are the type of person who likes to try out different programs and then try to remove them once you get sick of them. A computer’s registry can become bloated because of missing links,  wrong file paths, and corrupted registry keys.  I recommend that you try a free scan from RegCure and check out how many errors your registry does contain.  Do not be surprised if the number is in the high  hundreds.  If this is so, then I recommend downloading the full version and running a registry checkup on a monthly basis to ensure that your pc is in tip top shape.

Step 3: Spyware and virus alert

Getting viruses is probably the most annoying aspect of the cruising down the information highway. I especially hate those viruses that pop up and keep telling you that you have a virus, even though they are ones that are really infecting your computer. Once you get one of these guys into your system, it is almost impossible to get rid of them with anything short of reformatting your whole drive and starting over.  A good antiviral program is essential to keep these guys at bay and your computer running at full speed.  After trying all of the big ones, I recommend using AVG antivirus, which seems to provide the best service for the money.

Spyware is another insidious problem that can wreak havoc on your system as well as expose your personal information to third parties. Antispyware is easy to obtain online, with free dwonloads performing just as well as the stuff you might pay for. If you do get a free down load however, be sure to regularly update it. I really liked how the product Spybot  worked at keeping these nosy little bugs from running around in my PC.  Also, it is important to note, that Virus protection, and spyware removal programs are not the same thing. Be sure to get both products in order to keep your pc safe.