1)
Use Microsoft Fix It
Microsoft Fix It is a free tool from Microsoft
that will help users of Windows 7 or earlier to clean up and perform many
simple maintenance problems.
2)
Reduce Items that Run on Startup
If your computer takes a long time
to start up, the first thing you want to do is see everything it starts when
you hit the power button.
To do this, click on the Windows
button, click “run,” and then type “msconfig” into the box. Click on the
“Startup” tab. Some things you want to leave alone. For example, your
Antivirus. Others, such as Adobe Acrobat or Google Toolbar Notifier, you don’t
need to startup with your computer.
3)
Remove Programs No Longer In Use
Along with preventing every app on
your computer from starting with Windows, you should also review which programs
you no longer need and remove them.
Access the uninstaller tool from
your control panel and use that to uninstall programs you don’t use. I
regularly do this, of course, as a software reviewer.
4)
Clean Your Drive
Clean up your drives by typing
“cleanmgr.exe” into the run menu to access Disk Cleanup. This is that “search
programs and files” box that shows when you hit the Windows Start icon, usually
in the lower left of most screens (although you can move it to any part of the
screen).
5)
Consider Switching From Internet Explorer to Chrome
If you are using Internet Explorer
(IE) as your Web browser, it is time to upgrade. Make the Google
Chrome download the last thing you do on it.
Chrome is faster and has fewer bugs
than IE 11. (Sorry, IE users.)
6)
Clean Your Browser
Regardless of your browser, you
should clean it out regularly. To clean Chrome, click the three bars icon in
the upper right corner, then click “Tools,” then “Clean Browsing Data,” and
then check the history boxes, cookies and cached items.
Or, download CCleaner
which does a great job on the five top browsers, registries and Windows,
overall.
7)
Scan For And Remove Malware
Anything that starts with “mal” must
be stopped. You should regularly scan your system to get rid of any malware
that may be slowing your computer down.
Comodo Cleaning Essentials is a top rated free
tool that does this. Avast also has free tools, as does Norton.
8)
Scan For And Remove Viruses and Spyware
In addition to performing regular
scans on your computer for malware, you should also regularly scan for viruses
and spyware.
Access your antivirus and manually
perform a scan. You can schedule these weekly. Just make sure you do so when
you won’t be using the computer. Also, having more than one antivirus on your
computer will slow it down, so unless you are wanting to be incredibly
thorough, and perhaps a bit redundant, it is better to run only one.
9)
Make Adjustments For Better Performance
If you want better performance and
don’t mind losing visual effects such as mouse shadows, click on “computer,”
and then “system properties,” and then “advanced system settings.” You will
find a performance settings button that allows you to select “adjust for best
performance.”
You can also reduce your screen
resolution, which can speed things slightly and improve battery life when
running on it.
10)
Defrag Your Drive
You should defragment your drive or
schedule it to perform this action automatically. In general, you can do this
monthly. However, if you excessively download, move, uninstall, or install
programs, you may need to do it more frequently.
If your computer is running slow,
you can manually analyze the disk to see if it is more than 10% fragmented. I
still do this occasionally, but Windows seems to be doing a better job of
keeping things optimized.
11)
Add More RAM Memory
There are a few physical things you
can do to increase your performance, as well. You can and should add more
RAM memory until the computer is at capacity. I’ve found that as a machine
ages, you can extend its utility with a RAM upgrade. I’m literally ordering RAM
for one of my laptops as I write this.
In most cases, this is simply a
matter of snapping in or out memory sticks. Laptops are usually slightly more
tricky and you have to remove screws, but still fairly easy. You can also have
a retail store service desk do it.
12)
Upgrade To An SSD Drive
Finally, you can upgrade to an SSD
drive. This will make your computer run faster, but they are more expensive and
have overall less storage capacity. I wish there were easy ways to convert
standard laptop drives to SSD, but I haven’t found any that are affordable.
Do not let a slow machine stop your
productivity. Use these tips on how to increase computer speed to keep your
desktop and laptop machines running smoothly
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