How to Speed Up Your Computer?

Fix your slow computer:

Below are steps for Microsoft Windows users that should help speed up the computer or determine why the computer is running slow.

Background programs

One of the most common reasons for a slow computer are programs running in the background. Remove or disable any startup programs that automatically start each time the computer boots.

Tip: To see what programs are running in the background and how much memory and CPU they are using open Task Manager. If you are running Windows 7 or higher run Resmon to get a better understanding of how your computer is being used.

If you've got an antivirus scanner on the computer, spyware protection program, or other security utility make sure it's not scanning your computer in the background. If a scan is in progress it can decrease the overall performance of your computer.

Free hard drive space

Verify that there is at least 200-500MB of free hard drive space. This available space allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for temporary files.

Bad, corrupted or fragmented hard drive

Run Scandisk, Chkdsk, or something equivalent to verify there is nothing physically wrong with the computer hard drive. Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order.

Update Windows

Make sure you have all the latest Windows updates installed in the computer. If you are on the Internet when your computer is slow also make sure all browser plugins are up-to-date.

Update your drivers

Make sure you've got the latest drivers for your computer, especially the latest video drivers. Having out-of-date drivers can cause an assortment of issues.

Memory upgrade

If you've had your computer for more than two years it's likely you're computer is not meeting the memory requirements for today. Today, we suggest a minimum of 1GB of memory (RAM). By having enough memory for programs to run within memory your computer will not need to swap information stored within memory to the swap file. If your computer hard drive light is constantly active, its a good indication of your computer is swapping information between your memory and hard drive because of the lack of space in memory.

Run registry cleaner

We normally do not recommend registry cleaners. However, if you have followed all of the above steps and your computer is still slow try running a registry cleaner on the computer.

Computer or processor is overheating

Make sure your computer and processor is not overheating. Excessive heat can cause a significant decrease in computer performance since most processors automatically step the speed of the processor down to help compensate compensate for the heat related issues.

Erase computer and start over:

If none of the above solutions resolve your issues, it is recommended that you either reinstall Windows or erase everything and then start over.

Old computer

If your computer is older than five years come to terms that it is likely the age of the computer that is causing it to be slow. Computers progress at an alarming rate as new programs and updates for programs come out their minimum requirements increase and will cause older computers to slow down. If your computer is older than five years we suggest purchasing a new computer or just realize after following the above steps it is going to run slower than a newer computer.

Hardware issues

Finally, if your computer continues to be slower than normal after going over each of the above recommendations (including erasing and starting over) it's possible that your computer is experiencing a more serious hardware related issue such as a failing component in the computer. This could be a failing or bad hard drive, CPU, RAM, motherboard, or other component.