Speed Up Your Computer For 2010

Paul Watson, PC Technician

Tuesday, December 22nd 2009

Speed Up Your Computer For 2010

If you’re looking for ways to speed up your computer in the hope of avoiding either a replacement or an expensive upgrade, read on. In this post, I’ll cover a few ways to clean up your existing computer and get you ready for a faster New Year!

Out With The Old

Before you throw out your computer or trade it in for a faster model, try a few of these tips to see if you can speed up your computer. Keep in mind that computer slowness can be caused by many things and there is no one “sure cure” for all computer speed issues.

The first thing you should verify is that your computer isn’t slow because it’s infected with a virus or other malware that’s robbing your processor of valuable productive work. If you don’t have anti-virus software loaded on your computer, load a program and scan your computer immediately. Clean up any viruses or malware you find. Be aware that many “utility” programs that masquerade as one thing are actually malware or spyware that will slow your computer down. In addition, these nasty programs can forward information about your browsing habits to third-parties, or install software on your computer that will allow someone else to access your computer.

Also, don’t assume that because your computer came with anti-virus software that it’s working. Verify that your computer software is up-to-date and functional, and configured to run an anti-virus scan periodically. The more time you spend on the Internet, the more often you should scan your computer.

If your checks out as clean, start removing auto-loading programs. Often, when you install a new software package, it will ask you if you want to start the program when the computer boots. If you want to preserve your computer performance, the best answer to this question is “No.” Each program that “auto-starts” will take a bit of your computer memory away. After several auto-loading programs are started, your computer may not have enough memory to run the operating system efficiently.

In addition to clearing out the auto-loading programs, take a good hard look at what’s installed on your taskbar. Each taskbar icon also requires a little bit of memory. If you don’t need programs on the task bar, eliminate them. You can still start your programs manually when you need them.

In my next post, I’ll have a few more tips for keeping your computer running smoothly.

Photo Credit: Jurvetson, via Flickr