Speed Up Computer

Nothing is more frustrating than a slow computer, partially because the list of culprits is almost endless. Here are a few tips to help you speed up your computer and get better performance.

Simple Maintenance Can Make The Difference

Do the basics first. Chances are good that you have the tools on hand to do the simple maintenance your computer requires and in at least a few of these cases, the tools you need are built into the operating system.

The first step to speeding up your computer is to ensure that you have no spyware, adware, malware, viruses or Trojans running on your computer. A good antivirus removal tool will find the worst problems, but sometimes, adware and other malware fly under the radar. You’ll want to make sure you use up-to-date malware and virus scanners to detect the latest infections. If you don’t have anti-virus software installed on your computer, or you haven’t updated your A/V definitions in awhile, make sure your removal tools are in good shape before you start.

Once you’re sure your computer is free of viruses, malware, adware, spyware and Trojans, look at routine disk maintenance procedures like removing old files and defragmenting your hard drive. This two-step combination can free up space on your hard disk, making it easier for your applications to run. It also helps you make the most of your defragmentation tool.

You can throw out files manually by simply dragging them to the Recycle Bin and then actually emptying the bin. You’d be surprised by how many people never take the step of emptying the bin. Unfortunately, that’s the only step that will get you any additional space on your hard disk! You can also use the Disk Cleanup tool to eliminate temporary files and other file types that tend to hang around. Don’t forget to tell your Internet browser to get rid of temporary files. Clear your cache periodically and limit the size of the cache, too.

After you’ve thrown away these files and performed these clean up measures, defragment your hard disk. You can defrag anytime, but if you defragment before you get rid of your old and unneeded files, you’ll just end up running your defragger again. Instead, throw away (or move/store/archive) your old files first, then follow up with a good defragmenting. Defragging a badly fragmented disk can take several hours, so this is a good task to set up and run overnight.

After you’ve moved, dusted, re-arranged, cleaned and cleaned some more, run a reliable registry cleaner like Registry Booster to keep your registry in tip-top shape.

Photo Credit: osde8info, via Flickr