How to Speed Up Your PC

How to speed up my PC, you ask?

Simple tasks like starting up, opening a windows explorer folder to playing a game all require processing power from your PC. Unfortunately, the sight of aging computers turning slower month by month is getting common these days, prompting the question of whether computers simply degenerate over time.

The following list contains the most common reasons why your computer may become less responsive over time, and some simple steps you can take to maintain it. This will save you money and time over the lifetime of your computer.

1. Spyware
Good Spyware Removers: Ad-Aware

Let’s start off with the most obvious; spyware.

Very often you download free programs, crack files, visit certain sites and think its all rainbows and unicorns. Unfortunately, a lot of these activities and sites may result in a sneaky install of spyware into your unsuspecting computer. Over time, these nasty spyware can accumulate and dramatically slow your PC down. That’s of course in addition to all the other nasty effects they have including stealing passwords and personal information.

So what can you do to prevent that? Well you can start off with paying more attention to what you download, and where you download from. A big source of spyware is free software, so watch out for shady-looking, non-trusted sites that offer free downloads. Running a good spyware remover program once a week helps greatly too.

2. Viruses
Trusty Anti-viruses: Symantec’s Norton Anti-virus, McAfee, NOD32

Running a good anti-virus is critical to maintaining your computer’s good health and running speed. Although not opening non-trusted emails, clicking links and downloading free stuff used to be golden advice for preventing viruses, these days there are too many ways for a virus to infiltrate your computer.




The bottom line is really to just invest in a good anti-virus program and keep it running. Running scheduled scans will also go a long way in keeping your computer safe.

3. Registry Errors
Good Registry Cleaners: WinASO, TuneUp Utilities

This is what slows down your computer that most of you aren’t aware of. Your computer’s registry is a special, protected part of your bios that stores key information on operating your installed software. These could include games, work-related software and even anti-viruses. However, your registry could become a big slowdown factor after many cycles of software installation and uninstallation. Every time you install a program, your registry is updated with information but that information stays even when the program is uninstalled. This brings unnecessary processing your load on your computer and slows it down.

To solve this problem, invest wisely in a reputable registry-fixing program that helps to correct and clear up your registry.

4. System Maintenance
Remember to do these: Defragment your Hard Drive, Clear the Recycle Bin regularly Most of us do not perform simple system maintenance tasks like defragmenting our hard disk and deleting unwanted items in our recycle bin. Schedule a weekly full hard disk defragmentation and you’ll find your computer running much better.

(Access the windows defragmentation option under Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmentation. After that you can choose the different hard disk on your computer that you want to defragment for.