There’s nothing like trying to beat a deadline on a slow computer. No matter how you try, the computer simply won’t speed up. If you’re having trouble working around a slow computer, my next few posts will discuss some quick fixes and some longer term strategies you can employ to get your computer back up to speed fast.

Is The Problem Temporary?

The first step in finding a fix for your slow computer is to figure out whether your problem is temporary or chronic. Temporary problems that can slow down computers include processes that have gone wild or gotten stuck, transient instabilities in the operating system, memory allocation problems, and overload.

All of these problems are the “quick-fix” types, which can be cured with a reboot. Sometimes, rebooting isn’t even necessary to kick your computer back into high gear. This is true when processes get stuck or when you’re simply asking your computer to do more than it can handle.

There are a few ways to find and root out process problems. The Task Manager, which you can access using Ctrl+Alt+Del, will help you view processes that are currently running, those that are stuck and those that are consuming a significant amount of memory.

What’s “significant?” Sustained memory or processor consumption in the range of 80%-90% is definitely a suspicious sign of trouble. Processes can briefly consume a lot of CPU cycles or available memory, especially if they’re doing something heavy-duty, but if the processor or memory usage remains high, try shutting down the offending application. If the application won’t cooperate, that’s a good indication that something’s gone wrong. You can use the End Task function in the Task Manager to shut the errant process off. If your computer operation returns to normal, you’re probably going to notice an improvement in your computer performance.

While you’re looking at your processes, take a look at what’s running. If you notice that you have a lot of applications running that you’re not using, close them and see if that helps your computer performance. Each application takes up a certain amount of RAM. If you open too many applications, or your applications take up too much memory, your computer can slow down noticeably as it tries to accommodate all of your applications.

If you have applications running that you didn’t specifically start, chances are good that you have your computer configured to start your applications automatically. This also can chew up a lot of your RAM.

Next week, I’ll have more suggestions on what you can do to speed up a slow computer.

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There are a lot of reasons your computer can slow down, and there are just as many things you can do to speed up computer performance. But there are a limited number of things you can do to allow your computer to provide consistent performance over time.

Registry Cleaners Do Make A Difference

One tool that you don’t want to be without when it comes to improving computer performance is a registry cleaner. Now, to be sure, there are dozens of registry cleaners available today, but not all registry cleaners are equal. SpeedUpMyPC 2012 is different because it not only clears out unnecessary lines of code in your computer’s registry database but also optimizes the performance of your computer so you get the most out of your computer each and every time you use it.

There’s nothing quite like SpeedUpMyPC 2012on the market today. Optimizing your computer performance is essential to getting the most out of your computer, especially since there are so many processes at work on your computer at any given time.

SpeedUpMyPC 2012 carefully analyzes your computer and determines the way you work. Then, it makes the changes that best suit your computer and your computing needs. SpeedUpMyPC 2012 monitors your PC and keeps it running smoothly around the clock. With SpeedUpMyPC 2012, you’ll get the best service and support, too. Download product updates, enjoy unlimited professional support and use as many as three licenses for your product purchase.

SpeedUpMyPC 2012 can keep all of the PCs in your home or small office working smarter throughout the year. SpeedUpMyPC has received rave reviews and has been downloaded more than a million times by satisfied users who rely on it to keep their computers running quickly and reliably.

SpeedUpMyPC 2012 not only helps your computer operate more quickly, it also minimizes the downtime you can experience with PCs that haven’t been optimized for use both on and off of a network. SpeedUpMyPC 2012 even offers a money-back guarantee if you don’t see improved performance on your computer after installing and using SpeedUpMyPC!

There’s absolutely no reason to put off trying SpeedUpMyPC 2012! Clean up your registry and keep it protected, while optimizing the performance of your computer’s major systems and network connections at the same time. Don’t settle for an ordinary registry cleaner. Insist on the best – SpeedUpMyPC 2012!

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If you’ve ever suffered through the re-installation of your operating system, you know (or at least you should know) that reinstalling the operating system is a last-ditch effort to correct an intractable problem. Unfortunately, a lot of users (and technicians alike) use it as a cure-all when basic troubleshooting and maintenance don’t resolve a slow computer problem.

Is Reinstallation Necessary?

Reinstallation may have been necessary – even preferred – at one time to take care of slow computer problems. In my view, it’s akin to pulling out the biggest hammer in the toolbox. I tend to avoid re-installation until I’ve exhausted all other options. I do this partially because there are a lot of settings and adjustments I’ve made to my personal computer that I simply don’t want to lose.

There is also the issue that once a fresh installation of the operating system has been carried out, you may find yourself spending an additional hour (or hours) applying every patch and service pack that’s been issued since the new OS was introduced. If your version of the OS is new, this can be relatively painless. If not, you could be applying 40-60 patches and one or more service packs to your “fresh” installation. And you also run the risk that after completing this Herculean task, you’ll still be left with a slow computer.

A better approach is to determine why the computer is behaving slowly in the first place. Computers can slow down for a variety of reasons – including lack of physical memory, lack of available disk space, and significant fragmentation on the hard disk. You could also experience problems with device drivers that have begun to misbehave. There’s also the odd possibility that a recent OS update or patch isn’t performing as expected.

Once you’ve determined that your computer has sufficient resources to run the applications you use, you can also check the network connection and the servers you’re connecting to. If your computer operates normally with its network card disabled, your problem isn’t likely to be solved by replacing the OS.

People tend to ascribe odd computer behavior to viral infections. While it’s true that viruses can certainly slow down your computer and decrease its ability to perform, a good anti-virus program will not only detect and remove offending malware, it will also prevent your computer from being impacted in the first place.

I advise people to download a registry cleaner like SpeedUpMyPC because it not only manages the registry, it also optimizes the computer for the best possible performance. If you’re not impressed with your computer’s performance, download a copy of SpeedUpMyPC and see for yourself why more than a million PC users rely on it to speed up their computer performance.

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Computer time seems to run a lot more quickly than regular time does. Which is too bad, because regular time runs fast enough. With the new year on deck, I am starting to get inquiries from clients about whether or not 2012 is the year to replace their slow computer.

How Old Is Old?

For businesses, three years is getting a little long in the tooth for desktop computers, but a three-year old computer is still quite serviceable. Such a computer can generally run the latest version of the operating system and can manage most, if not all, peripheral devices. The form factor should be relatively small, so it doesn’t take up much room on the floor or on the desktop.
If a three-year-old computer is running slowly, try the usual maintenance tricks like freeing space on the hard drive, defragmenting the hard disk and performing some clean-up maintenance tasks. Don’t forget to use a registry cleaner like SpeedUpMyPC. SpeedUpMyPC not only cleans the registry, but also optimizes the computer for the kind of work you do. It makes a real performance difference!

For businesses with a four-year-old computer, replacement is a gray area. If the computer has been updated to the latest operating system and is performing well, there’s no reason to get rid of the computer based solely on its age. Many businesses choose to take their oldest machines out of the line of heavy fire and relegate them to softer duties at this point. That’s always a good option. Again, if the PC is performing slowly, give SpeedUpMyPC a shot at cleaning out the registry and optimizing the computer’s performance. If the computer isn’t running the latest operating system and there’s no real likelihood that you’ll upgrade the OS, it may make sense to upgrade the OS simply by replacing the computer.

For businesses with five year old computers, you’re more likely to benefit by replacing the computer with newer models. This is a great opportunity to preserve the performance of a new computer, by the way. Load SpeedUpMyPC onto a new computer and keep your computer is new operating condition, even as you use the computer.

For personal computers, I dispense the advice I always give: if the computer does what you need it to do and you’re not inclined to replace it, don’t. Use SpeedUpMyPC to keep your older computer running in tip-top shape and perform regular maintenance tasks as needed. Replace your computer when you want to upgrade, rather than by looking to the calendar for guidance.

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In the last several posts, I’ve talked about how you can speed up your computer by changing configuration items that you might otherwise overlook. In this post, I’ll cover a few more tips you can use to keep your computer working fast.

Consider These For Your Computer

One of the reasons your computer may be slow is that it relies on a physical hard disk to store and retrieve data. Don’t limit your definition of data to just the files you store. When you’re working on your computer, your operating system is stored on your hard disk, so every time you call on your OS to do something, you increase the risk that your computer will need to activate its hard disk to complete your request.

Mechanical items are comparatively slow, so when the hard disk gets involved, your computer will slow down. So how can you avoid this? Well, consider switching to a solid-state drive (SSD). They’re much faster than a mechanical hard disk and the all-around speed of your computer will improve remarkably.

Solid-state drives aren’t without their faults, but if speed is what you’re going for, this is definitely one area in which you can recover some otherwise “lost” time. The use of solid-state memory isn’t new. After all, that’s essentially what a USB drive is. As a replacement for mechanical hard disks, SSDs have been around for laptops for awhile. In the laptop environment, SSDs actually make a lot of sense because they’re at a lower risk of accidental damage from being dropped or mishandled.

They’re also really lightweight – a big plus when you’re lugging around a laptop! But how do they perform? In some operations – like read and write – SSDs typically outperform mechanical hard disks. They also offer marginal improvements in power consumption on laptops, though not significant enough to write home about. Another big bonus – they don’t generate a lot of heat, which can be uncomfortable for the user and can lead to early component fatigue in some configurations.

So what are the three main disadvantages of solid state drives? Cost, cost, and cost. Solid state drives are significantly more expensive than regular hard disk drives, so right now, the only opt-ins for SSDs are for those users who need the advantages of SSDs more than they need the several hundred dollars’ difference in price. The good news is that if you do opt for a solid-state drive, Windows 7 is optimized to make the best use of the device, so you can be assured that you’ll get excellent performance for your outlay.

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