Is your computer running slower than your old Vic 20? Windows taking forever to load or even crashing altogether? Is your computer just not running as well as it used to? You may think that your computer is too old or just plain not good enough. However, just like a car, your computer may very well just need a “tune up”. You don’t have to spend a fortune hiring a computer tech to “fix” your computer either. Follow these five steps to make your computer run faster.
- Install anti-virus software: Besides being a very real threat to your Internet security and privacy, computer viruses and other malicious software can slow your computer to a crawl. There is free anti-virus software available for download on the Internet, such as AVG AntiVirus Free Edition. Remember that anti-virus software is only as good as the last update.
- Install anti-spyware software: Like computer viruses, spyware can also be the culprit for a slow computer. Spybot Search & Destroy is absolutely free of charge. All that they ask is for a donation, though it is strictly voluntary. Anti-virus software detects most, but certainly not all spyware, so it is important that you have anti-spyware software installed.
- Run Windows Disk Defragmenter to speed up your hard disk response time. A fragmented hard drive can really slow a computer down. The Windows Disk Defragmenter utility re-arranges your hard drive so that all your files and folders will be located on a single space. This in turn helps your computer to read and write files much faster.
Simply click on Start, followed by going to All programs. Now, click on System tools; choosing the Disk Defragmenter.Now click on the Defragment disk and let it do it thing. Be warned though, that this can take up to several hours. - Free up disk space: If you have surfed the Internet for any length of time your computer’s hard drive is full of clutter; browser cache, duplicate files, temporary files, etc. Many people aren’t aware of it, but Windows keeps a copy in your hard drive of every picture downloaded, website visited, etc. Not only is this a real threat to your Internet security and privacy, it also over time tremendously reduces your computers performance and speed. Back in 2006 I discovered Cyberscrub Privacy Suite; software that permanently and securely deletes files on your hard drive. The first time that I used Cyberscrub Privacy Suite I deleted over 7 gb of temporary files, browser cache, etc. off my hard drive! I was amazed at the increase in both my computers speed and performance. CLICK HERE for a free, fully function 15-day trial of Cyberscrub Privacy Suite.
- Clean your registry: Some computer experts say that this is the most important step to speeding up a slow computer. Not only do registry errors cause your system to crash and error messages, but they also slow your computer down. I use and recommend Registry Mechanic for cleaning your registry of errors, duplicate files, and files leftover from uninstalling software on your PC. I installed Registry Mechanic when my computer was running slow and it found and repaired over 152 registry errors, duplicate files, etc! I immediately noticed an increase in both my computers performance and speed.
