Speeding up a slow computer can be more of a challenge than it sounds like, primarily because computers slow down for an almost endless number of reasons. Sometimes, the culprit is so common you may not initially believe the cause of your slow computer.

Put A Lid On Pop-up Ads

Computers are used for a variety of tasks, but one of the most popular uses is browsing the Web. Each window the Web browser opens takes up a little bit of display memory and a bit of the computer’s processor. Occasionally, users may visit a site that is deliberately designed to slow your exit from the site. A common way to force a user to hang around is by subjecting the user to a barrage of pop-up advertisements. Dozens (and sometimes even more than that) of windows may open seemingly at once. Other times, your browser will accumulate a few ads here, a few ads there and a few ads somewhere else.

Technically, there are two kinds of these pop-up windows: pop-up windows, which open on top of the active browser window, and pop-under ads, which open underneath an active window. The pop-up ads are easy to discover because they prevent you from doing what you were planning to, at least until you close them or reactivate the correct browser window. Pop-under ads usually lay around on the desktop, waiting patiently for you to close all your other active windows.

Either way, you can accumulate a significant number of pop-up ads. Sometimes, these ads stream music, audio or video, which make them even bigger resource hogs than they already are.

If you find that your browsing is regularly being disrupted by pop-up or pop-under ads, there are two simple solutions that will stop the pop-ups and pop-unders, and prevent your resources from being diverted without your consent. First, consider using a browser with a built-in pop-up blocker. Firefox, for example has a setting you can enable that will prevent windows from being opened arbitrarily when you visit a Web site. You can configure the browser to allow certain sites to spawn pop-up windows. This can be helpful for banking sites and other similar sites that provide desirable services via a pop-up window.

The second solution is to employ a stand-alone pop-up blocker. Pop-up blockers (regardless of where you get them) can be useful because they can help you avoid accidentally clicking on ads that may take you to malware sites or other potentially harmful sites.
You may not recover a substantial amount of speed from your computer by enabling a pop-up blocker, but you can make your Web browsing experiences safer and more pleasant.

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