How to speed up a slow computer

How to Speed up a Slow Computer

Using a “slow” computer can be an aggravating experience indeed. And, in today’s fast-pace world, having such a computer is just unacceptable. Fortunately, this problem can be fixed easily and cheaply. Here are a few things you can do to speed up your computer:

Get Rid of Malware

The presence of malware (adware, worms, viruses, trojans, and spyware) can slow down your computer. To get rid of malware, use a good anti-malware program. It’s a good idea to run the program every week. New viruses and worms are created daily, so update the database of your software regularly. Spyware is particularly dangerous, as it not only slows down your computer, but also steals private information; therefore, make sure that your anti-malware software provides good protection against spyware.

Get Rid of the Extras

Remove from your system any files that have become obsolete.

Get rid of unwanted programs from the Control Panel area. There may be some software, games or old toolbars that you downloaded but no longer need. Be extra careful though when deleting programs. If you are not sure about a program, don’t delete it.

Delete all unwanted email messages. Check all the folders and delete every message that does not need to be saved. Conclude by clearing the Deleted Items folder.

Another thing that affects computer speed is the running of unnecessary programs. View your taskbar for programs that are currently running. Disable every program that you are not presently using.

Run Maintenance

Clean up your disk using the Disk Cleanup tool present in the Control Panel (this tip is for Windows users). This tool will take care of temporary files, cookies as well as unnecessary components for speeding up the computer. When using this tool, carefully read the provided information; the software may offer to delete things you want to keep.

Perform a computer defragmentation. This process can be time consuming, but it will significantly increase the speed of your computer. The defragging tool is present in the Control Panel. It’s a good idea to run the tool once a month.

Make sure there are no disk errors. Corrupted files can also sometimes negatively affect computer speed. You can find and fix erroneous files by right-clicking on C drive and selecting Properties, then Tools.

In Conclusion

Often times, when serious errors exist on a computer, they exist from having a computer not maintained well.  When the computer is not maintained, you make it much more likely to have serious error that cost you money.