Friday, September 7, 2012

My Computer Is Slow, What Can I Do To Speed It Up?

By Myke Longo


Help, please! My computer is slow and I have no idea why!

If you're wondering, "why is my computer so slow?" and aren't sure what to do to boost the performance, here are some simple tasks that you can do yourself within seconds to help your computer to run as fast as possible for as long as possible. These tasks include installing security software, monitoring startup processes, uninstalling unnecessary programs, removing random files, upgrading the RAM, etc., all of which will boost system performance.

When I try to find out why is my computer slow, I'll usually always run my security program to check for and eliminate any malware that may be infecting my system. I recommend doing this first, because if malware is infecting your computer the performance will be affected no matter what you do. If I notice my computer is slow, I'll immediately run a full system scan with my security software to eliminate all malware.

Elimininate Optional Startup Services and Programs

Does your computer take a while to startup? There may be tons of unnecessary programs and services that are set to run right as your computer first starts up, which can really slow down the startup process. It's best to monitor the list of startup services on your computer, so your computer can startup as quickly as possible. To eliminate optional startup programs and services using Windows use the keyboard shortcut 'Win key + R', enter in 'msconfig', click OK, click the Startup tab at the top, and safely uncheck as many items in this list as possible.

Upgrade or Replace RAM (Random Access Memory)

You may not know it, but almost all computer setups can handle more RAM then what's currently installed. Replacing or upgrading the RAM on a laptop or desktop computer can be done in only a couple of minutes and is one of the easiest hardware replacements that you can do yourself. Because RAM is used as temporary memory for active programs, you can easily and safely replace your old RAM stick(s) for a nice performance boost. Keep in mind that 32-bit operating systems are generally limited to only 4 GB of RAM, while 64-bit operating systems can handle a lot more RAM.

One of the very first times I realized my computer is slow, I right away upgraded the RAM after making sure malware wasn't infecting my system. Luckily, my system was a 64-bit system type so it could easily support 8 GB of RAM which gave my computer a tremendous speed boost.

Delete Unnecessary Programs

You'll definitely need some available free hard drive memory on your computer in order for your computer to run as fast as possible. Luckily, almost every brand new computer comes with optional unnecessary software already installed which can slow down the performance and eat away at the hard drive space. You should monitor the list of installed programs on your computer and remove large unused programs to maximize free hard drive space.

Get A Solid State Drive (SSD)

Upgrading the hard drive is difficult because the entire operating system and all your personal files are saved directly on the drive. If you'd like to upgrade your hard drive, ensure all your data is safely backed up to separate location before proceeding. Solid states drives (SSD) are much faster and offer greater performance compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDD). Solid state drives eliminate data from becoming fragmented, which allows you to load and access your data much faster. Solid state drives are also much more versatile compared to hard disk drives as they come without moving parts such as a spinning disc or movable read/write head.




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