Running slow - get an influx of speed!
old and often get bogged down as they grow older, but don’t fear
because there are many ways you can help make your computer feel
younger. This article will give you a few pointers that will make
your computer run as fast as it used to.
Clean Hard Drive Space.
When your hard disk space is taken up your
computer often slows down in the wake many applications being used
together. So how do you go about clearing some hard drive space?
It’s important to uninstall any program that you don’t use, clear out
any temporary internet files and empty your recycle bin. If you’re
using Windows Vista, you can also clear disk space from the “My
Computer Screen”. Once on the “My Computer” screen, right-click the C
Drive, go to properties, and then Disk Cleanup.
Don’t Run So Many Programs.
A silent problem with many computers is
the number of programs that hide in the background or that start
themselves on a fresh boot of your computer. Notable programs that
start themselves on the start of your computer are instant messengers
and anti-virus/spyware programs. The taskbar in the bottom right hand
corner of your screen often is where many of these programs minimize
too, search there for any you don’t wish to have running.
Run An Anti-Virus Program.
Don’t close that anti-virus software
just yet! Spyware often slows computers down and can cause no other
seeable results other than a slowdown in your performance. Many
spyware applications are hidden applications that only the trained eye
can find, so what can you do? Fortunately, many anti-virus programs
also come with a scanner that is great for located and destroying
pesky spyware programs. Be careful if you’re downloading a new
anti-virus program, however, as many of them are spyware applications
in disguise.
Defrag Your Hard Drive.
Defragmenting your hard drive can increase
the speed of your PC greatly, but be warned that defragging is time
consuming. Depending on the size of your hard drive and what you want
to defrag the process could take anywhere from 30 minutes to several
hours. The disk defragmenter program is very easy to find and is very
user friendly. If you want to access this program while running
Windows Vista, click the start button in the bottom left, and type
Disk Defragmenter into the search box and press enter. Select the C
drive as the drive you want to defrag and select enter.
These tips aren’t the only ways to speed up your computer, but they
are the most available and often times the most effective ways. If
you want to make sure that your computer is really speeding up, there
are many internet sites that will let you test your speed, simply test
before and after you try the above fixes.
Photo Credits: Gavin Loynes
Originally posted 2009-09-07 03:02:37.
