Computers and Technology

Do you find that your new-ish laptop or desktop computer just does not seem to run like it did when you got it out of the box? Are applications taking a long time to load or failing to respond when you are simply completing daily tasks? Personally, I hate it when my computer is running slow. If I am doing some work, then I want to get it completed as quickly as possible. I don't want to be held up by anything but my own brainpower! Many of you are probably curious as to what is causing your computer to run so slowly in the first place.

Well, let me fill you in on a few of the reasons why you might be experiencing a slow computer as well as what can be done to fix your slow PC.

Your computer may be infected with Spyware or viruses (or both)

Anytime you search the internet your computer potentially becomes susceptible to Spyware or Viruses. Spyware can infect your computer and collects personal information without you knowing and certainly without asking you for permission. Spyware can slow your computer down and affect your computers performance markedly. If you are accessing the internet from your PC then it is important to protect your computer with Anti Spyware and Anti Virus products alongside a good firewall. If you computer is slow then potentially your computer may already have been targeted. A good anti-spyware and anti-virus product will scan and clean your computer, and keep it protected from threats ongoing by supplying regular product updates.

Your computer registry may have errors

Your computer registry is the 'brain' of Windows. Every process on your computer gets logged or accesses the registry. When the registry becomes very large, your computers performance can decrease and cause it to become unstable.

To prevent Windows errors it is important to complete regular maintenance of your computer registry. Part of this maintenance is ensuring that your Windows registry always remains clean - so that it is devoid of any entry that should not be in there.

There are a range of windows registry cleaners on the market today that can keep your registry clean and functioning at its optimal level.

Too many applications running, heaps of files and too much junk!

That's right, your hoarding of old files, fondness for new applications, and your tendency to want every file you ever used open on your desktop have caught up with you!

So... what can you do about it?

1. Don't try to run too many applications on your computer all at once - this will affect the speed of your computer. Adopt a less is more approach - and only open the ones you really are working on!

2. Remove some of the programs that are running in the background. It is important to make sure that there aren't too many things going on at once. Check the tray next to the clock. If there is a whole possie of icons in action down there then it is bound to be slowing down your system during routine activity . Close any of the items you don't need.

3. Free up disk space. Freeing up disk space will improve the speed of your computer no end. You can use the Disk clean up tool to assist with this process. This utility will identify files that can safely be deleted including - temporary internet files, downloaded program files, emptying the recycle bin, removing Windows Temporary files, removing installed programs that are no longer used. In addition to this you should regularly review and delete old files, folders and emails to free up space on your PC. Remember to back up important files, folders and applications before doing this!

Inadequate Memory

After a while your crumby old computer will slow down on you. Part of this decrease in speed may be due to a lack of memory. This might be the time to check the Ram on your machine and think about topping it up. 512Mb I would recommend as an absolute minimum. Without enough memory Windows will swap RAM to disk as "virtual memory" and that can really bog things down. Adding more memory to your machine can be one of the fastest ways to increase the speed - so it may be worth considering this! You can never really have too much RAM.