Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Dealing With A Sluggish PC

By Frankline Bell


Computers are a fantastic resource, but when they begin to slow down and act up, they can be a huge source of frustration. Sometimes, there is a simply solution to getting your PC back up to speed, and the following tips may help.

A computer is like a huge electronic file cabinet, and when this "cabinet" fills up, it starts to slow down a bit. Many of these files can and probably should be deleted. To clean up your PC, head to the Start button and type in "Disk Cleanup." This will bring up a list of files that you can remove from your computer. Usually a big chunk of these will be called temporary files. These are created when you create a new document or spreadsheet and they are helpful in recovering lost data if you have an unexpected shutdown. However, they only have a temporary use, so it's fine to delete them and this might help speed up the PC.

Many programs and applications are part of our computer's operating system, but some also are items that we install. When you turn your computer on, many programs also turn on at the same time. When there are many of these programs starting up, it can make turning on your computer cumbersome. Head back to your Start button and type the word "msconfig" and you will see a box appear that says System Configuration. Click on the "Startup" tab and take a look at what is listed. Some programs, such as messenger programs or items such as Skype don't need to boot up along with your computer. Disabling or unchecking these programs can make starting up faster. Don't disable programs that come from Microsoft or those from the manufacturer of your computer.

Another option is to uninstall programs that take up a ton of space, especially if you never use them. Be careful to only uninstall programs that you are sure you don't need, such as games you no longer play or perhaps old software that is irrelevant or anything else that your computer doesn't need but takes up a decent amount of space. If you aren't sure what to delete, do some research prior to uninstalling each program.

Sometimes malware can cause a computer to slow down, and this malicious software can cause a lot of headaches. There are malware removal programs to consider, but if you think that you might have a virus or Trojan or other malware, it can be easier to simply call for computer repair services. Portland has many companies that can help with this, including GeeksAKnockin', which provides Portland computer repair, Hillsboro computer repair, computer support in Beaverton, computer support in Hillsboro and throughout the Portland area.

One service that this Portland IT support company provides is their Accelerate and Protect My PC service. This includes speeding up that sluggish computer, as well as removing spyware and viruses, optimizing the Windows startup and shutdown processes, installing security updates, cleaning up a desktop, removing unwanted programs and enabling anti-phishing controls. They'll even verify that all of your hardware and software are functioning properly. After this, your computer should be protected and running smoothly.




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