There is a point for every computer user where they come to the sad realization that their beloved PC doesn’t seem to be as speedy as when they initially purchased it. Many users assume that when their computer slows down, it is simply time for a new computer.
Others may contact online technicians, or opt to pay a local computer repair shop to help restore some of their computer’s speed. However, what many users do not realize is that there is much they can do at home, without spending a penny, that will vastly help to speed up their computer’s performance.
First, it is important to understand that if your computer is older, it may not be running slowly so much as it might not meet the specifications for newer programs. Assuming your computer is just all-around slow, not just when running newer programs, you may be wondering what steps you can take to improve its performance.
The first step in this process is surprisingly easy: remove all unnecessary programs — that game your children installed last year and haven’t played in months, the video-chat program you downloaded that one time for a business-related conference call and never used again. All of these take up unnecessary space and needlessly slow down your system. As a general rule, if you can easily reinstall it and haven’t used it in at least three months, it’s time to uninstall.
Once you’ve eliminated unused programs, it’s time to turn your attention to unnecessary files — photos, music, and videos being the most common offenders. If you don’t want to delete them, back them up on a flash drive, social networking site, online cloud storage service, or disc. If they are important files, you may want to keep several backups, as flash drives can be lost, and CDs and DVDs can become unreadable.
After you’ve cleared your hard drive, your computer may already be running a bit faster, but if not, don’t fret, that was just step one. Next, you should make use of Windows’ built-in Disc Cleaner, or, if you prefer, there are many free programs online that will empty out temporary files.
To speed up Windows on start-up, you should choose which programs you allow to run. Simply navigate to start > search and type “msconfig.” This window will have a tab labeled “start up,” then you should recognize most of the programs on the list, especially the enabled ones.
As a general rule, it’s a good idea to leave anything related to your antivirus checked, but you should disable any non-essential programs. There are many tutorials available online that will go into greater detail about the options in msconfig.
Finally, a step that is often overlooked is that of making sure the system is up to date, which involves more than just updating Windows. Java, Direct X, Adobe Reader, Flash Player, media players, messengers, browsers, and all associated plug-ins should be updated every three to six months, as your computer requires these basics to function smoothly.
If you still find your computer to be intolerably slow, then it may be time to take it to a professional, or consider adding or upgrading hardware. However, most users will find that these steps drastically improve their PCs performance.
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