7 simple things you can do tomake your computer run faster today
Even if you have an antivirus installed, itmay not detect other types of malware that also negatively affect performance.
Is your computer running too slow? Before you buy a new one, here I share a couple ways you might be able to get it running faster. You might even be able to do it without buying or upgrading any hardware. However, be careful. If you aren’t aware of what you’re doing, you could certainly cause more harm than good. Seek a professional like myself if you feel like you need help. Run a malware scan: Viruses, adware, malware and other junk can really slow down a computer. Even if you have an antivirus installed, it may not detect other types of malware that also negatively affect performance. In addition to performing scans with a traditional antivirus, use another malware scanner, like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (www.malwarebytes.com). Remove programs from the startup list: Many programs, utilities and even viruses, adware and other malware will add themselves to Windows startup list, so they open automatically every time you start up your computer. Though you may notice some of these programs have opened, some you may not. Thus, it’s a
good idea to periodically check your startup list and remove any programs you don’t need to have automatically run. Remove unused web
browser add-ons: Extra toolbars, plug-ins, and extensions installed on your web browser can cause browser slowness and instability. Even if you didn’t mean to install them, they come bundled with various programs, updates and adware. I suggest disabling or removing any toolbars, add-ons and extensions that you don’t use.
Disable Windows
visual effects: Windows comes by default with some graphic effects turned on to make it look slicker. In all Windows versions, these effects are in the Performance Options settings, accessible via the System dialog box. Disabling these effects will change the appearance of Windows, but since processing power isn’t used up on displaying the effects you can see an increase in performance, especially with older computers. Run a Check Disk:
Hard drives and files can become corrupt naturally over time or due to improper shutdowns, causing slowness and instability. Windows includes a utility called Check Disk, which can scan for and try to repair any corruption. Consider running this every month or so. Run a cleanup utility: There are many computer cleaning programs out there that can help you remove temporary files, optimize the Windows Registry and perform other maintenance. Periodically running these can help increase the health of your computer. My favorite cleaning utility is Glary Utilities (www.glarysoft.com). Upgrade the hardware: If your computer is still too slow, you might consider upgrading the inside components. This can still be a cost-effective way to increase speed and reliability without having to purchase a completely new computer. One upgrade option is to replace your traditional hard drive with a new solid state drive (SSD), which are much faster than the traditional hard drives. In any case, I strongly suggest seeking professional advice for upgrade options based upon your particular computer to ensure it’s worth the investment.