Seven Tips to Speed Up Your Slow Computer

It seems that the longer you use a computer, the slower it will go.  Most times, the age of the computer is not the problem.  Instead, years of surfing the Internet, saving files, and downloading media has slowed it to a standstill.  Before buying a new computer, try the following tips to increase the speed and performance of the one you already have. 

1.  Run Disk Defragmenter

Disk fragmentation will seriously hinder your computer’s performance.  When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk to locate all of the pieces before the file can be opened.  A fragmented disk will slow your computer down considerably, especially when you run large programs or files.  Use your computer’s disk defragmenter at least once a month to organize the files on your computer and give it better performance. 

2.  Repair Disk Errors

If your computer has ever crashed or shut down improperly due to a power outage, your computer may have disk errors.  Windows provides an error checking utility to search the hard disk for bad sectors to repair, giving your computer extra performance as a result. 

3.  Remove Fonts

Many computers now feature a long list of fonts to use in word processor applications.  These fonts, especially the TrueType fonts, use quite a bit of your computer’s system resources.  To give your computer that extra boost, remove all the fonts, but those you normally use.  

4.  Scan for Viruses, Spyware and Adware

Some viruses can wreak havoc on your computer, while other programs such as spyware and adware will stay dormant in the background as they collect personal information and display random pop up messages.  Whether you have a virus, spyware, adware or all three, programs such as Ad-Aware can be used to protect your personal information from a third party.  When your computer is free of viruses, spyware and adware, its speed will also improve. 

5.  Limit Programs at Start Up

Most programs are set to start automatically when the computer is turned on.  It's important to limit these so that they do not eat away at the speed and performance of your computer.  The less that is running on your computer, the more space can be saved to run the programs you really want. 

6.  Clear Browser Cache

The browser cache, also known as the Temporary Internet Files folder, stores images, sounds, video, and web pages visited when surfing the Internet.  Though this folder is designed to speed up page load times, most of the websites stored in it will never be visited again.  By clearing the cache periodically, you can free up some space on your computer.   

7.  Delete Cookies

Nearly every website will give you a cookie.  Most times you will never use these cookies again.  After a while your computer will build up thousands of cookies that take up space on your hard drive and slow your machine.  It is best to delete your cookies every month to keep your computer at its optimum performance.