Computers like cars need to be maintained in order to function and perform to the user’s expectations.
These steps will outline the main ways that you can speed up the performance of your PC without spending any money.
The steps in here will improve your PC’s performance, but they won’t turn your pentium4 into a Core I7
Delete Temporary Internet Files
Each time you visit a website your browser downloads the content of the webpage to your computer’s hard drive. If you spend a lot of time browsing the Internet then your HDD is probably full of unwanted internet files that will slow your PC down.
You can remove these by going into the Internet properties in control panel and selecting delete temporary internet files.
Remove Unused Software
Each time you install a program no matter how big or small the program has to write to the registry. The registry is a huge database that contains keys and values that are vital to the operation of your PC. Each time you change a system setting this simply changes the registry value deep in your computer. Removing software that you don’t use will not only free up the registry but also free space on your HDD which will increase performance.
Defrag your HDD
I’m sure most users are familiar with the Disk Defragmenter. This handy Windows tool re-organises your file structure to increase access time. Ideally you should defrag your PC once a month although this really depends how often you use your PC and the files you download. If you do a lot or large downloading then your HDD will soon fill up with fragmented files.
It is not recommended that you defrag solid state drives. Doing so could cause damage to your drive!
Scan for viruses and Malware
Spyware and Malware will slow down your system and cause unexpected errors and crashes. It’s recommended that you update your Anti-Virus definitions and Anti-Spyware definitions daily. Run a full system scan on a weekly basis to ensure your system is clean.
Backup your Documents and Files
No Body likes to lose data, especially when a backup isn’t available to restore from. A sudden power surge or a crash in a HDD head can cause irrecoverable loss of data and system files. If your computer came with a recovery disk it’s a good idea to make a backup copy and store in a safe place along with the Windows product key, encase you have to reinstall from scratch in future.
In addition to this it’s also good practise to make backup copies of your data and documents. You can purchase an external HDD from your local computer store or online and make a copy.
