Slow Running Computer Tips for diagnosing why your computer is running slowly
It is very common for computers to slow down.  Your once fast computer will slow to a crawl causing frustration and crashes. How do you work out what is causing the problem?  It is a process of elimination. Work through these steps. 1) Update your antivirus and antispyware softare and scan your computer. This will remove anything nasty that has got onto your computer. Around 1000 new items of malware (a generic term meaning anything malicious that shouldn't be on your computer) are written every month. If you your antivirus and antispyware software aren't up to date your computer can quickly succumb to infection. Believe it or not, I still come across clients who either have no antivirus software or whose subscription expired 6 months or even a year ago.  Your antivirus and antispy software are only as good as the last time they were updated. Don't think you are saving money by not renewing your subscription.  It will cost you far more in time, frustration and money to sort out an infection. Once you have antivirus and antispy software installed it is vital to ensure that your computer is scanned regularly. Many of these programs are proactive and will run a daily scan automatically. If your software is not proactive it is worth considering replacing them with software that is. It is easy to forget to run manual scans and leaves your computer vulnerable to infection. Once you are sure that your computer security is effective and there is nothing horrid lurking on your computer, there are other measures you can take to improve its performance.
Defrag your hard disc. How you do this will depend on which version of Windows you use. Windows Vista has a built in defragging schedule which runs automatically. Older versions of Windows don't and you will have to manually start disc defragmentation. Ask your computer's help section to tell you to defrag your version of Windows. Defragging tidies up all the files on your hard disc and can dramatically improve performance if it hasn't been done for a while. Check to see how full your hard disc is. To do this, find "My Computer".  RIGHT click on the C drive and select properties.  You should see a picture of a circle.   This will show you how much of your harddisc has been used. If it is more than about two thirds full its performance will slow. Uninstall unnecessary programs. Make sure you use the add/remove programs facility in Control Panel to do this (Programs and Features if you are a Vista user). If you store lots of photographs, music and videos it might be better to move them to an external hard drive or keep them on DVDs.
Removing some of the temporary files lurking around your computer will also help improve performance. Open your web browser.  In Internet Explorer click on Tools/Internet Options/General/Browsing History/Delete.  In Firefox click on Tools/Options/Privacy and change the length of time for which Firefox remembers where you have been. Upgrade your computer memory. Although I have put this last on the list, this is the most effective way of speeding up your coputer.  Your antivirus software contains an ever increasing virus database.  Just running this slows down most older computers.  You will need at least 512 Mb of RAM for any computer to run efficiently.  Regular housekeeping and the use of effective security software will definitely help keep your computer running smoothly. Finally don't forget the importance of regular back-ups. Then if the unthinkable happens, at least your precious data is safe. (written 7 June 08)