By: Will Luker
As everyone has encountered, computers seem to slow down over time. This can be caused by many things, but there are some easy ways to make that slow computer perform like it's new. You can always take your computer to a local computer repair shop, but here are some tips that you can use on your own computer to speed it up a bit.
- Check your computer for viruses. A good antivirus program can keep your computer safer against viruses, but they don't always catch 100% of all the newest threats. Even if you have an antivirus program installed and running, try running another free virus scan. One is available from http://housecall.trendmicro.com or by downloading MalwareBytes Anti-Malware. MalwareBytes does a great job detecting and removing infections, and it's free to run a scan. Of course, any antivirus program is only as good as it's last update, so always make sure your antivirus program is up-to-date with current antivirus definitions and program updates.
- Uninstall software you don't use anymore. You can see what programs are installed by going to the control panel and going to the "add/remove programs" icon in Windows XP. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, you can access the same list by going to the control panel and then clicking on "uninstall a program" under the "Programs" tab. Not all software is bad however, so if you're not sure what a particular piece of software is, it's best to google it or leave it alone.
- Disable automatic startup of some programs. Programs installed on your computer love to start up when the computer does, and this can take a lot of computer resources to load these programs. A good way to access this list of startup programs is by using Microsoft's System Configuration utility. You can open this by holding down the Windows key on the keyboard and tapping r on the keyboard. It will open up the "Run" prompt, where you will type msconfig and hit "run". This will open the System Configuration utility. You want to click on the tab called "startup". In the startup tab, you can now uncheck any program you want to disable from automatically starting up when the computer does. This won't uninstall the program, instead it will just make it so the program will only start when directed by you or another program. Nothing critical to your Windows operating system will be in the startup tab, so you can uncheck anything you want and have the computer restart. Just make sure not to make any other changes in any of the other tabs, as this could cause damage to Windows.
- Add more ram. RAM memory in the computer is different from hard drive storage space. RAM is used by programs currently running. When you don't have enough RAM, the computer will begin to run very sluggish. Windows XP should have at least 512mb of RAM, Vista + Windows 7 should have at least 2 GB of RAM. Upgrading the RAM can be in-expensive and would take about 5 – 10 minutes if you do it yourself. There are a lot of good resources online that show step-by-step how to add or change your RAM.
Computers that are running slow don't always indicate it's time for a new computer. A little bit of time and a keen examination of the computer can yield a fast computer once again. Of course, if you're in doubt, you can take your computer into a local computer repair or service shop and have them give you their recommendations to improve your computer's performance. Many shops will even do a free diagnosis and answer any questions you may have.
About the Author
Will Luker
IT Manager
Luker Technologies
http://www.LukerTech.com
(ArticlesBase SC #3164827)
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - 4 Simple and Cheap Ways to Speed up Your Computer
No comments:
Post a Comment