Why Is This Computer So Slow?

It really doesn’t take a lot of time before a lightning fast computer starts to slow down. Can you recall how amazingly fast your PC was when you first bought it? Unfortunately, now your machine has had some use: you have loaded on a few software programs, customized the setting to your liking, downloaded some freeware, music and movies and now, your once speedy PC is now slower than a slow thing in a slow town. That’s pretty slow. This is not good. Some would say it’s very frustrating to be exact!

That is a load of garbage you may think to yourself. Or you might be curious, and wonder, what in the heck happened to this once awesomely speedy PC of mine? What has made it slow down to this extent? There are definitely a fair amount of reasons why our PC’s and laptops slow down as time goes on. Thankfully, though, we have some great options that can bring the speed back to your slow computer! Some of these options are even free. Have to like that, eh?! Ok, Ok, you may be thinking, enough with the banter, let’s get to some of these tips that can help my slow computer!

Alright, alright, on to the good stuff we go!

As you put software programs on your PC or laptop, a good proportion of them will begin to run as soon as the operating system on your computer starts up, whether or not you actually want the specific program to run. The issue there is, those software applications that involuntarily start up are utilizing important computer system resources, which would include memory – that could be utilized for running other software programs – ones that you may actually want to use at that point in time.

Here is how to stop the automatic start-up of those software programs:

• Click on the Windows icon (sometimes called the “start” button)
• Type ‘msconfig’ in the search box that appears
• Click the ‘msconfig’ graphic
• Next, click on the ‘Startup’ tab
• Them uncheck the software programs you don’t want to run at startup.
• Next, click ok or apply at the bottom and that is it!

Would you like another tip to make your computer faster that happens to be filled with awesomeness? Are you ready? Here it is. Check into the possibility of adding additional RAM or random access memory to your PC or laptop. RAM is fairly inexpensive these days and putting in a stick or two can definitely produce some great results performance wise. This is certainly true, particularly if the laptop or PC that you use is already several years old or you’re now using some software programs or games that utilize a large amount of system resources (i.e. certain graphic design programs or 3-D games). Another great feature about RAM is that it can be bought without much hassle online and there are a lot of trustworthy places to buy it from.

Staying with the topic of advice that is full of awesomeness, another immense free tip to help your laptop or PC gain lost speed is to make use of the Disk Defragmenter tool that is a part of your Windows operating system. Why do I think it’s a good idea to utilize this tool? Well, it is because when your data is fragmented all over your hard drive, it takes your PC or laptop much longer to find the file pieces and fragments and put them altogether. This, not surprisingly, results in a slower running machine. By making use of the disk defragmenter, you’re allowing Windows to re-arrange your hard disk data in a more organized way. This results in the re-claiming of more hard drive space and allows Windows to access the data files on your hard drive easier.

Would you be interested in giving Disk Defragmenter a go? Here’s how to use it:

• Click the Windows icon (also known as start button)
• Next go and double click All Programs
• Then click Accessories, System Tools and lastly, Disk Defragmenter

An additional slick feature of this utility is its capacity to schedule regular hard drive scans allowing it to never become too fragmented. I think it is really worth the time to enable this very good feature.

On the topic of great Windows utilities, another one worth checking out is the disc cleanup utility. This utility is also located under the system tools area. This helpful service cleans up your hard disk of a lot of unused and unnecessary things, including: web browser cookies, downloaded files and temporary internet files. In addition, you are also able to free up some hard drive space by eliminating Windows components that are not used, and old system restore points.

Adware, spyware and other forms of malware are big causes of PC and laptop slowdowns. Some of these malwares can even hijack your computer system, without your knowledge and use up your computer system’s resources for harmful purposes. This could include: stealing your credit card numbers and personal banking data. Needless to say, it’s essential to use a quality anti-spyware software program.

Along the same lines as spyware, viruses certainly cause a lot of grief for computer system users. Without having to go into a ton of technical details, all you need to remember is always use a good anti-virus program and make sure it performs regular updates and system scans.

One of the most common causes of PC and laptop slow-downs is a corrupt and bloated Windows registry. The registry is essentially a database and every time you install hardware devices (such as a keyboard), games or software programs, more and more information is loaded into your Windows registry. Even when the software is uninstalled, hardware or games are removed, some data remnants remain in the registry. As time goes on, the registry begins to become bunged up and jumbled and stops to operate nearly as efficiently as it did when your computer was newer.

Many people notice some obvious changes to their computer systems when their registries get cluttered, such as: their PC or laptop taking noticeably longer to start up, software programs loading much slower than before and an annoying increase in the amount of frozen screens and system crashes. Some tech experts estimate that 94% of computers have registry errors.

But it’s not all doom and gloom, thankfully! Why is that you ask? Well, it is because there are very good registry cleaning programs available that can clean your Windows registry in minutes and breathe new life into your slow computer.