| How to Speed Up Your PC |
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With today’s exceptional computer processors and advanced technology, computers are faster than ever straight out of the box. Even inexpensive computers outperform their speed demon predecessors. However, as time goes by, even the fastest of computers slows down. Want to recover that out-of-the-box speed? You can do so by following a few regular maintenance routines.
First, invest in a good anti-spyware solution. Spyware and ad-ware are nasty little programs that cause a great deal of mischief. They are also one of the biggest culprits when it comes to slowing down a fast PC. These programs reside on your computer without your knowledge and gobble up resources. Imagine having dozens of programs open at once, each performing its own tasks. Most infected computers don’t suffer from a single spyware infection but multiple infections – sometimes hundreds. If your computer is suddenly working at a snail’s pace, spyware is a prime suspect.
Next, adjust your Startup applications. When installing new software, many programs set themselves up to launch automatically at Startup. While convenient if you use the application regularly, most of the time this is unnecessary. Each open application takes up system memory. If you’re not using a program, it shouldn’t be open; otherwise, your computer’s performance suffers. To remove items from Startup, go to Start, Run, and type in “msconfig.” Choose the Startup Items tab and remove applications that you don’t want to run automatically. Be sure to keep critical programs like anti-virus programs.
Remove temporary files by using the Disk Cleanup Wizard. To run this utility, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. The wizard will check your disk for files that can safely be deleted including Recycle Bin files, temporary files, temporary Internet files, Dump files, and more.
While in the System Tools folder, choose Disk Defragmenter and defragment your hard disk. Do this overnight as it is a time-consuming task. This utility rearranges the files on your disk for increased efficiency.
Clean up your Windows Desktop. All those little icons are shortcuts to applications and folders which take up memory. Weed these down to those that you really need. While you’re at it, double check the Desktop image, making sure that you aren’t using a huge file size. The larger the image’s file size, the more resources it needs to display. Go with a small file or no image instead.
If you use themes, you are doing so at a cost to performance. If you’re willing to pay the price, keep the theme. If you’d rather have a faster PC, remove it.
Another tool you can use to speed up your PC is a registry cleaning utility. These utilities go in and clean up all the junk left behind from failed installations, computer errors, spyware infections, and other processes. By cleaning up these remnants, your computer has less information to process in order to function. End result: less wasted time, fewer computer errors, and increased speed.
Windows Vista comes with a performance monitor in the Control Panel. If you have Vista, open the Performance Information tool and make adjustments such as changing your computer’s power settings, visual effects, and indexing options. You’ll also find shortcuts to the Disk Cleanup wizard and other tools.
Top pick for the best Driver Update Software:
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