5 WAYS TO FIX YOUR SLOW RUNNING COMPUTER

Rather than buying a new laptop or PC, here are 5 ways of avoiding a costly new purchase by making your existing computer run faster.

Uninstall unused programs

When you buy a new PC the chances are there are a load of programs pre-installed onto it. Old PCs can simply accumulate these over time. Most of these you’ll never use and some of them can often run in the background without you knowing, slowing your computer down in the process.Uninstall those that you do not need, while being careful to leave programs your computer’s hardware needs.

To remove these click “Start” then go to “Control Panel” then click “Programs and Features” and scroll through the list, uninstalling the ones you never use.

If you’re unsure what should stay or go, use PC Decrapifier – a free piece of software that recommends what is worthwhile or not.

Run virus and malware scans

Viruses and other malware are one of the primary causes of slow performance. Adware can bog down your computer and tie up your network connection, and viruses can make your CPU and hard disk use skyrocket. Removing any malicious programs should be your top priority, and you should always have a lightweight antivirus program installed.

Removing viruses can be a difficult process, and oftentimes it may be easier to simply backup and reinstall your operating system instead of trying to track it down and eliminate it.

Automatically delete temporary files

Temporary files amass on your computer through everyday tasks and can remain on your hard disk, slowing the computer down. Getting rid of these files, including your internet history and cookies, should give you a larger amount of hard disk space, speeding up your PC.

Get more hard drive storage

No matter if you keep your computer tidy, if your hard drive becomes too full, it will affect the speed of your PC. If you use your system for processor-heavy tasks, such as recording video and media the likelihood will be that your drive will get choke before you know it. Nowadays you can get mega storage drives over 1TB which is good for thousands of HD movies.

Reinstall or upgrade your operating system.

Sometimes, the best way to improve performance is to simply wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. Reinstalling Windows will clear your hard drive and improve performance. Upgrading to a newer version of Windows will often increase performance as well, though obtaining a newer version will set you back some money.

If you can, try to format and reinstall your operating system at least once per year. This will ensure that your computer is always running at optimal speed.

Many people are put off by the thought of the time investment needed for reinstalling their operating system. If you have a good backup system already in place, you can have your computer formatted and your operating system reinstalled in about an hour. When it comes to reinstalling your old programs, you’ll probably find that you actually used less than you thought.