How
to Improve Your Computer’s Performance
Few things are as frustrating as dealing with a
slow, sluggish computer. When a computer is brand new, it works wonderfully
well. Over time, though, its performance can slowly begin to worsen. This
happens for a number of reasons, but the biggest culprits are things like
spyware, adware and other computer threats that are unwittingly downloaded
along with other content while online. You don’t have to download thousands of
MP3s, movies or other items to experience these problems, either – nobody is
immune to them. Instead of accepting the situation, there are plenty of
techniques and strategies that you can use to make it better – a few of the
best ones are outlined below.
1. Clean Your Computer’s Windows Registry
The biggest cause of slow, sluggish PC performance is errors and
problems within its Windows registry. Adware, spyware and other threats usually
target the registry, damaging or misplacing important files within it. When it
comes to PC cleaning, a daily Windows registry cleaning should be at the top of
your list of priorities. However, this should never be done manually – there
are too many opportunities for major errors that could seriously damage your
PC’s operating system. Instead, invest in a high-quality Windows registry
cleanup program and configure it to run once per day – you won’t believe the
difference that it makes.
2. Remove Unneeded Files
Every time you log on to the Internet or otherwise use your
computer, temporary files are generated. They are usually only needed once;
however, they don’t disappear on their own. Instead, they accumulate over time
until they are cluttering up your computer’s file system and affecting its
performance. While it’s possible to remove these files one-by-one, it’s much
easier and quicker to use a PC cleaning tool that’s designed for the purpose.
Try to do so about one time per week to keep your computer humming along with
ease.
3: Remove Unneeded Programs
Like many people, you probably download and try out many different
programs each month. How many of them do you actually end up using on a regular
basis? Chances are, not very many of them. By getting into the habit of
uninstalling unused and unneeded programs, you can keep your computer’s file
system a lot less cluttered. In turn, your PC’s performance will improve
dramatically. You can optimize your computer in this way by using its
Add/Remove Programs feature. Its location varies by operating system, but you
should be able to find it somewhere in the Control Panel.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin
When you click “delete” on a file or a program, it doesn’t go
away for good – not immediately, anyway. Instead, it sits in a kind of
purgatory in your computer’s Recycle Bin. As things pile up in the Recycle Bin,
your computer can start exhibiting some very annoying problems. If sluggish
startups and frequent crashes are occurring with increasing frequency – and
your computer’s recycle bin is very full – go ahead and empty it. From then on,
get into the habit of doing so about one time per week. This small but
important strategy can make a huge difference.
5. Perform a Disk Defragmentation
Windows isn’t very efficient when it comes to storing files. It
actually splits them up, depositing them into whatever spaces are available.
The more spaced apart the pieces of a file are, the harder your computer has to
work to make them run. The Windows disk defragmentation system tune-up utility
works to piece all of those files back together again. The process is a long
one, though, and only needs to be done about four times per year. Set it up to
run automatically once every three months. By doing so, you’ll be able to keep
your computer running in tiptop shape.