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Five Steps For A Faster Computer

16 May

This Simple Guide Will Help You Understand What You Can Do To Get, And Keep, A Faster Computer.

Most experienced computer users know there is a need for keeping their computers running clean, lean, and mean. But why and how their units have slowed down might not be known. Here are five steps take to help speed up your PC:

Try to identify the cause/s - low memory, virus, spyware and cluttered files could be among the reasons PC speed is lagging. Using system utilities or independent programs will help identify what is going on.

Research the problems - Once the problem is found or suspected, do a search to confirm any suspicions and find out what solutions might be available.
Manually improve the problem - Check for any unwanted, unneeded and unused programs. If there are some on your PC, they can be removed to free up memory on your hard drive.
Get expert help - The problems might be beyond your area of expertise. Call in an expert before it’s too late.
Be vigilant with computer system maintenance - Regularly scheduled updates and housekeeping should be a routine function that can help increase system speed.

Using a few, or all of the above steps will increase the chances of getting rid of slowness in a computer. Plus, some of these steps, like manually checking for unused programs, will help to maintain PC performance long after a problem has been fixed.

As well as these steps, having an understanding of speed-related problems will help to fix them now and in the future. Below are some of the most common problems that affect PC speed and some solutions to consider.

Virtual Memory and PC Speed

At some point a computer might display a message that the virtual memory is too low, particularly after heavy use. An easy way to fix this is to left click on My Computer, select Properties, go to Advanced Tab to the right, click on Virtual Memory and increase the Size on Set. The increased size should be twice the size of RAM installed. Then, reboot the system, and this should fix that problem.

Hard Disk Maintenance

Schedule regular hard disk housekeeping duties to maintain PC performance. The Disk Cleanup tool is a feature of most computers with Microsoft's Windows operating systems and can free up disk space by removing temporary files, emptying the Recycle Bin and data that may be clogging up the system.

Running a Disk Defragmentation will also improve and speed up overall computer performance. All files are once again put together so the hard disk will no longer have to take the time to search all over for files that are in separate sectors.

Professional PC Cleaning Options

In some cases these features of Windows may not be enough. For more thorough PC cleaning and maintenance, PC performance software like SpeedUpMyPC, NovaTuneUp or Diskeeper are affordable investments in the speed and running of your PC.

These programs will perform system scans and analyse ways to maximize computer performance with little interference with everyday tasks. As well as performing advanced optimization tasks such as cleaning the computer's registry, they will also inform users of the different problems they encounter and how they can be fixed, so a greater understanding of speed can be gained simply by reading the reports and suggested actions generated by this software.

Spyware, Viruses and Other Malicious Software

Removing any spyware, viruses, Trojans or malicious malware, calls for an appropriate software installation. Antivirus programs like Avira, Kaspersky Antivirus and AVG Antivirus should be among your serious considerations. Prevention and removal are equally important, so finding an antivirus program to suit your needs is very important.

At the end of the day we must accept that regular use of a computer will cause it to slow down. The heavier the use, the more need for regular speed maintenance. Understanding the problems, and using software to help solve those problems will help keep things running at a comfortable pace.