How to Speed Up Your Computer
How Do I Speed Up My Computer?
Age Of Your Computer
Over time, new programs and updates have greater system requirements. If your computer is more than five years old, it is difficult to have the machine running at an acceptable rate. If thinking about whether to purchase a new machine or repair your current computer, we have written a blog on the pros and cons to help you decide.
Browsers
Different web browsers can perform differently and by changing to a different web browser, it could have a faster loading speed.
Check Your Hard Drive
It is important to check if there is an issue with your hard drive disk. Running programs such as Run SanDisk as well as Run Defrag (for data storage) could assist with speeding up your computer. It may be an idea to upgrade to a faster hard drive if your computer is running quite slow.
CPU
The CPU may slow down to prevent overheating.
Defrag
It is important that you close all programs on your computer before undertaking a defrag. Defragging your PC can be time-consuming, so we suggest running this application overnight. Here are the instructions for completing a defrag;
Click on the start menu, select Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then click on the disk Defragmenter icon.
Display
In older machines, that is those with an old graphics card, adjusting the display setting can help to speed up your computer.
Drivers
Drivers which are out of date can slow down a computer. If this is the case for you, we suggest considering purchasing the latest driver for your machine. Old video drivers in particular can create more issues for your computer.
Free Hard Drive Space
The hard drive disk becomes overloaded over time due to new programs and applications as well as any upgrades. If your computer has between 200 to 500 MB of free hard drive space or less, this could be the reason that your computer is running slow. To increase your free storage, you can delete program files that are no longer in use as well as any unimportant an unused documents, photos and movies. The control panel lists all the program on your machine, which makes it easy to select and delete unwanted programs. It is also recommended that you remove all temporary internet files listing in the Windows Temp directory on the C drive.
Hardware Problems
It is possible that the tips and tricks on how to speed up your computer we have provided have not assisted you. This could be that your machine has one or more hardware problem. These are generally more expensive repairs but can still be cost-effective depending on the age and nature of your computer. For most users, the best way to determine the problem is usually to take the machine to a reputable computer repair business and have a diagnostic done on the computer.
Memory Upgrade
It is likely that you will need to upgrade the memory of your computer, even if your machine is two years old. It is relatively inexpensive to upgrade your machine memory and it can significantly increase the speed of your machine.
Adding more RAM to your machine is a cost-effective way of increasing the speed of your machine. At Affordable Computer Repairs and Service, we can do this for you at an affordable rate.
Operating System
Sometimes the best way to speed up your computer is to reinstall the operating system and start afresh. This can be a lengthy process so this should be completed when you are not needing to use your machine.
Overheating
Overheating of your machine can impact the performance and speed of your computer. Our blog on how to keep your machine free of dust may be of some interest to you as this can be a cause of overheating computers.
Programs Running In The Background
Several different programs can run in the background when you are using your computer and working on a particular application. The easiest wat to speed up your computer is to disable programs that automatically start up when opening your computer.
Speed Up Start-Up
Your computer will run slower if there are more programs opening up during computer start up. Disabling those that are use infrequently should assist with your laptop loading speed. This can be done by running MSConfig and withdrawing applications in the Home tab. You should also disable all indexing and accessories of the internet to further improve the speed of your computer.
Two Or More Anti-Virus Programs Running At The Same Time
Anti-virus programs can significantly slow down the speed of your computer. It is important to only ever have one anti-virus program running automatically at any time. You can also have another couple that you can manually run weekly or fortnightly.
Virus – Any Type Of Malware
Viruses and spyware can significantly slow down your machine. Check for malware by running more than one anti-malware programs and delete any malware you find. It is very important that your virus software is up to date and running frequently. Some malware can be extremely difficult to remove, such as the Federal Police Virus. If there is a particularly malicious virus that you can’t remove, give Affordable Computer Repairs and Service a call. For $190, we can remove the virus from your computer and provide additional protection.
Windows Indexing Service
It is likely that you do not require this service, and that it is currently slowing down your machine. Windows indexes all your files to allow you to do a file search. If you do not use this service, you will need to disable the Windows Indexing System.
Affordable Computer Repairs and Service
48 Octantis Street, Coorparoo, 4151
Ph: 3397 1215 or 0409 974 707
Email: markkc@affordablecomputerrepairs.com.au