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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Slow computer performance is one of the most common complaints I hear from people who wonder whether they should upgrade their systems. The truth is that some people replace their computer systems prematurely, simply because the computer is slow to boot up. That’s unfortunate because there are things you can do to speed up your computer.

Getting The Most From Boot Time

People always want to “get the most” out of their computers, but for each person, the “most” is something different. In terms of speeding up your computer performance, getting the “most” may mean making configuration adjustments to your computer’s boot routine.

By making some simple changes, which may include disabling services you don’t need, you can reduce the time it takes your computer to boot. You may also be able to improve its operating performance by unloading the services you don’t really require.

The good thing about making configuration changes is that if your needs change, you can always reconfigure your computer to re-enable the services you’ve turned off. You haven’t permanently gotten rid of your computer’s ability to work; you’ve just gotten rid of the things you don’t need that currently give you a slow computer.

The services that run on your computer can cause an increase in the time it takes to boot the computer, so this is one area to consider when you’re looking to speed things up. You can access a list of the services that are running on your computer by typing msconfig into the text box at the bottom of the Start menu. If you’re squeamish about turning of system services, you can activate the “Hide all Microsoft services” checkbox at the bottom of the Services box. That will remove Microsoft services from the menu, leaving only services that are enabled via your applications.

You can evaluate each service independently. Often, your computer manufacturer will have services and utilities that start automatically, but aren’t really needed all the time. These services are prime candidates for “turnoff.” The services will still be on your computer; you’ll just need to start them manually if you really want to use them.

You can also take a look at some Microsoft services that you may not really need. Remote access services (like remote login) are good removal candidates if you never access your computer remotely. Disabling this service might also afford you a little extra protection from malefactors who may otherwise be able to access your computer using the remote login capabilities. If you use Microsoft Office, you may also find some services that you can disable. Also, some other Microsoft applications may enable additional services. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t use an application, you don’t need the extra services that come along for the ride.

In my next post, I’ll look at other elements of your boot up routine that you can modify to get back a little time and a little performance.

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Everyone’s computer slows down over time – or at least it seems that way. And let’s face it – there’s something attractive about getting a new computer. But do you really need to spend the money to buy a new computer, or are there things you can do to improve the performance of the slow computer you have?

You Can Speed Up A Slow Computer

Before you make up your mind on buying a new computer, consider the things you can do to remedy the old, slow you computer you have. First, let’s be clear: there are some computers that should be upgraded – no questions asked. When a computer no longer meets your needs – when it can’t run the applications you need, perform the functions you need it to, and you’re limited to software that’s no longer even supported by the publisher, it’s probably time to consider buying a new computer.

If your computer hasn’t arrived at that point yet, you can probably get better performance from your computer by addressing the issues that slow your computer down. Here are a few things to do to improve the speed and performance of the computer you have.

First, do regular maintenance on your computer. Regular maintenance includes clearing old files from the hard drive, removing temporary files, applications you no longer use, repairing bad sectors on your disk and defragmenting the hard drive. You can do all of these things using the built-in tools that Microsoft provides in the Windows operating system. While you’re at it, set up a regular maintenance routine to ensure that this kind of housekeeping is done regularly.

Second, briefly disable your anti-virus software and see if your computer performance improves. If it does, look for new, more up-to-date or just plain faster anti-virus software. A/V software is notorious for slowing down computer performance, but these packages are getting better. If your A/V software is just to slow, look for something faster.

Third, clean your registry using a trusted registry cleaner like SpeedUpMyPC 2011. You’ll be surprised by how much better your computer performs after running SpeedUpMyPC 2011. That’s because this software does more than just clean your registry. It also optimizes your computer so that you get the performance you’re looking for.

SpeedUpMyPC 2011 has been downloaded more than a million times by satisfied users who simply want better performance without having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars upgrading their computers. Download it for yourself and try it. You’ll be surprised by the real difference in performance this software makes!

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When you talk about “computer memory,” it’s sometimes hard to remember that computers have different kinds of memory. The “working memory” is called random-access memory (RAM) and is supplied by physical components that plug into the computer. Read-only memory (ROM) is hard-coded in chips on the computer. Virtual memory is actually hard disk space that doubles as RAM. There are other specialized memory units that computers use for specific purposes. The interaction between these different kinds of memory can cause a slow computer.

Memory Fills Up Fast

A computer’s RAM tends to fill up fast. Because RAM is in such demand by the operating system and applications in use on a computer, the computer also uses virtual memory to help shoulder the load. Virtual memory is hard disk space that is set aside and used like RAM. The size of a computer’s “virtual disk” is adjustable, but if you plan to adjust the size of the virtual memory allocation, you need to understand what you’re doing.

In order for virtual memory schemes to work properly, the computer has to have a minimum amount of hard disk space free and available. Once the memory is allocated to virtual use, it cannot be used for long-term data storage. If a computer’s hard disk becomes too full, the computer may not have enough free disk space to accommodate the virtual memory configuration. This can lead to performance problems, slowness and even system freezes and crashes.

To ensure that your virtual memory addressing function works properly, you’ll need to keep your hard disk well maintained. This means limiting the amount of data you store on your hard disk. Trimming data can be a little tricky. You want to keep your information nearby, but you also want to keep your computer free of digital debris.

Periodically, clean out your Downloads file and rid yourself of the downloaded information you no longer need. Clean out the temporary files that sometimes accumulate on your computer as well. Consider moving photographs, videos and other large file-size items to a DVD or CD for “nearline” storage. Having a backup copy of these kinds of files is probably a good idea anyway.

If you do a lot of copying or file transfers, you’ll want to defragment your hard disk regularly to ensure that you have contiguous hard disk space available for virtual addressing. This alone can help keep your system running smoothly and quickly. You’ll also want to use a recommended registry cleaner like SpeedUpMyPC 2011 regularly to help keep your computer’s registry file tidy.

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One of the dilemmas people face when considering their computer technology is whether or not to replace a slow computer. There’s no doubt that there comes a time when a computer has completely outlived its useful life. Unfortunately, there’s no magic rule-of-thumb that indicates when a computer has reached this point.

What Goes Into Determining Useful Life?

Its user primarily determines the useful life of a computer. Although it sounds a bit simplistic, what you can do with the computer is a better marker of the computer’s lifespan than the number of days it’s been in service. If the computer doesn’t meet your needs, it can be “obsolete” right out of the box. On the other hand, if you can still do whatever you need, a seven-year-old computer can still be “useful.”

One indication people focus on is the speed of the computer. An old computer is a slow computer, right? Not really. Old computers can be very responsive and brand new computers can be so bogged down that they can’t get out of their own way. “Slow” and “age” don’t always coincide. While it’s true that older computers have older processors, and older computers have less memory, they also have built-in memory management that’s designed to work with smaller amounts of RAM. If the programs you use haven’t changed remarkably, or your needs for computing have stayed the same, you can still get a lot of use out of the computer.

One key to avoiding a slow computer is a clean registry. The Windows registry has changed significantly over time, but one thing has remained the same. Useless, old and abandoned information stored in the registry can cause computer problems, and it can certainly make for one slow computer.

Today, you need more than just a simple registry cleaner. That’s why I use SpeedUpMyPC 2011. This program is a whole toolkit of utilities that will help keep your computer running right and avoid annoying “slow computer” problems. Best of all, it can scan your computer for serious problems that need your attention in just two minutes.

Two minutes of maintenance time can save you hours of frustrating computer use by ensuring that your computer performs as it should day in and day out. Don’t put up with a slow computer (no matter how new or old it is). Instead use SpeedUpMyPC 2011 to make sure your computer works the way it was designed to each time you turn it on.

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