7 Ways To Stop A Slow Computer
February 22, 2011 by admin
Filed under Speed Up My Computer
7 Ways To Stop A Slow Computer
As you use your computer regularly, over time you collect old data and parts of old programs that stick around and you end up with a slow computer.
What if you could run your computer like the day you first took it out of the box?
Here are 7 simple steps you can take to fix a slow computer in minutes.
1. Backup your data
One of the easiest steps you can take is improve your storage space. If you store all your large files such as movies, music and photos on an external hard drive or burn them to CD, you’ll leave more room for your computer to find what it needs when you open a program. Saving space makes your slow computer run faster.
2. Empty your Recycle Bin
If you don’t need a file, get rid of it. Not just to your recycle bin, but for good. Leaving your recycle bin full of old files means you’re leaving rubbish in the path of programs that you use every day. Emptying your recycle bin of old files will make it easier — and faster — for your slow computer to open the program you want.
3. Uninstall old programs
With time, a regular computer user will have a dozen or so programs on their hard drive that had a purpose for particular task, but haven’t been opened for a long time. Removing these is easy and frees your computer up for the jobs you need it for.
To find and remove old programs, go to Start – Control Panel – Uninstall a program (Vista), or XP users, follow Start – Control Panel – Add/Remove Programs. This path will show you a list of familiar programs, some of which you may no longer have a use for. Click on the program, then select ‘Uninstall’.
4. Remove temporary files
Just as you want to clear your Recycle Bin daily, it’s also a good idea to find and remove files that you don’t need. For example, you may have documents that were relevant several months ago but their use has passed. Another example is images. You will download a lot of images attached to emails, such as a signature file. These have no use to you, but they take up room on your computer. To clear your old and unnecessary files, go to Start – All Programs – Accessories – System Tools – Disk Cleanup and select the files you want to remove.
5. Run System Recovery
If you suffer from a relatively new PC that is chronically slow, get a new computer in a minutes by restoring your PC to the same factory settings you enjoyed when you took it out of the box. System Recovery will wipe your hard drive clean, taking all the slow bugs — and your data — with it. This is the nuclear option for a slow computer.
Use System Recovery AFTER you have backed up your important data onto an external hard drive or CD. To access System Recovery, enter your Windows install CD into your drive and follow the instructions.
6. Check your firewall
It’s possible a slow computer is the victim of a malicious program or virus, sometimes called ‘malware’ or ‘spyware’. Spyware keeps tabs on the information on your computer and may transmit it to thieves to use your credit card data or similar personal information. Check now if your firewall is turned on. Follow Start – Control Panel – Network and Internet Connections – Windows Firewall.
Spyware is a significant reason for a slow computer and if you’ve got it, you should get rid of it immediately with an antivirus/anti spyware program.
7. Clear your registry
The registry is like your computer’s library that stores your programs. With time, as some programs are added and removed, and everyday programs opened more frequently than others, your registry ends up disorganized and bloated with files scattered everywhere. An old or cluttered registry will cause crashes and possible the “blue screen of death” and most certainly a slow computer.
“1 Click Fix” for a slow computer.
If you’re looking for a tool that can fix your slow computer and take care of these 7 steps for you plus more check out 1-click-fix.
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