Computer running about as fast as a speeding... tortoise? More powerful than a... light breeze? Able to... well, not do very much at all without crashing? Here are a few easy fixes for your constantly slow computer:
1) Cleaning out your PC - As time goes on, your computer can become bogged down with files and information that you no longer use. By using Windows Disk Cleanup, your computer will identify what programs and files are rarely used and no longer needed, and ask you if you would like to get rid of them. To run Windows Disk Cleanup:
Click Start
and open the menu; click All Programs; open Accessories; open System Tools; choose Disk Cleanup; choose which system you want the computer to clean up (usually the C: drive) - click OK; the computer will determine how much space can be cleaned up, which may take a few minutes; decide which of the provided files you wish to delete (done so by clicking the boxes on the left of each file system - turns into a check mark when clicked); click OK.
2) Decrapify it! - Just like files, your computer can run incredibly slowly when there are programs that you don’t use and software that comes pre-installed still on your computer. Thankfully, the PC Decrapifier has been invented! The program is free to download and helps the user to un-install and get rid of junk that has built up on your computer over time - even BRAND NEW PCs can benefit from a good decrapifing. The Decrapifier will walk you through, step-by-step, to ensure that you are the one deciding what does and does not get removed.
To download the PC Decrapifier, visit http://pcdecrapifier.com/ and get started!
To create a System Restore Point in Windows Vista or Windows 7:
Click Start
and open the menu; click Control Panel; click System and Security; choose System; click System Protection; click Create; type a description of the Restore Point you are creating (i.e. Before Decrapifier), click Create.
You can also perform this manually through Add/Remove Programs, and clicking Uninstall a Program.
3) Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware software - Obviously, everyone knows that you need a good anti-virus program on your PC to ensure that your information and your computer is safe. There are tons of software available to the average computer user - both free and pay for - but here in the computer lab, we’ve got our favourite: Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). The reason that we encourage the use of MSE is that -
a) It’s FREE
b) It’s been designed to run with your Windows PC easily in the background
c) It has comprehensive anti-virus coverage - automatically updating its virus database once a day
d) It does the work for you - MSE tracks any attempted virus or malware (malicious software designed to access your personal information) attacks and notifies you only if action is needed; giving you the final say in what happens on your computer.
Other options out there include other freeware like AVG or Avast, but users often find that those programs become “nagware”, constantly asking you to upgrade to the paid-for versions.
Paid-for virus protection like McAfee and Norton often boast superior protection, but for the price you’re paying, we don’t find they’re worth it. Plus, if you do ever decide to get rid of the software, un-intalling the programs have been known to cause problems on computers, and in one case we’ve seen, even prevented the computer user from accessing the internet entirely!
You can always download the free MalwareBytes program to run extra malware protection if you’re doubting any anti-virus software you have installed - this is the only supplementary protection that will run with existing anti-virus protection.
Just remember, what ever route you decide to go, if you already have existing anti-virus software on your computer you will need to remove that before you can download another program.
4) Closing Background Tasks - Upon starting your computer, there are often tasks that begin automatically whether or not you need to use them. These tasks sit open on your computer chewing up valuable resources. For example, Skype often starts up automatically on your computer and uses a TON of memory that you could be putting towards the task that you are currently attempting to complete. These programs often hide on your taskbar at the bottom of the computer screen, under the “Show Hidden Icons” button
. Exit any programs that you do not need running (i.e. Skype, Windows Live Messenger) by right-clicking on the icon and clicking Close Program or Exit Program.
5) Auto-Updates - Programs that you have on your computer that are constantly checking for updates can also cause your computer to lag. By asking the programs to remind you to check for updates, or by turning off auto-updates completely, you can cut back on the amount of background work that your computer is doing while you’re trying to complete your own tasks. Remember, if you turn off auto-updates completely, you’re going to need to check for updates manually every couple of weeks! The top programs that take advantage of auto-updates include Windows Updates, Java, Adobe and Flash.
6) Defragmentation - if your computer is running on an operating system older than Windows 7 (Windows 7 will defrag automatically), a simple and often very effective solution for helping your computer get some of its pep back is to Defragment. XP and Vista run the defragmenter on a schedule, but defragmenting manually can help. To do so:
Click Start
and open the menu; click All Programs; open Accessories; open System Tools; click Disk Defragmenter; choose Defragment.
Remember, for those of you still using Windows XP, it’s important to get switched over to Windows 7 - Windows 8 will be shipping in October 2012, and from what we’ve heard, not many people like it. If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 7 by then, you’ll be stuck using Windows 8. Also, according to Network World, “most organizations should try to eliminate Windows XP by 2012”, due to the fact that newer versions of software and programs will not be compatible with XP and Microsoft will no longer be making security updates for XP, leaving your computer vulnerable. (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/060210-gartner-windows-xp.html)
7) Saving to an External Hard Drive - Having an external hard drive to save your large files like music, photos and videos to can be an extremely handy tool when it comes to speeding up your PC. Although cleaning out your hard drive does not INCREASE the speed of your PC (you would need to upgrade your RAM), according to Tips4PC, “If you find yourself downloading a lot of files it is always better to remove them from your computer to store somewhere else. This way your computers performance will not be effected by storing unnecessary files, data, and movies”. (http://tips4pc.com/articles/computer%20basics/what_is_an_external_hard_drive_a.htm)
By keeping the biggest, most plentiful files that you have but don’t access all the time on an external hard drive, you’re cutting down the amount of work your computer has to go through every time it starts up and wants to perform functions. Just think, it’d be a heck of a lot easier to find your favourite book on your shelf if you kept all those old books you’ve already read stored in a different room!
External hard drives range in size from 320GB (currently $59.99 at Best Buy) to 4TB (currently $299.99 from Tiger Direct). To decide how much space you need, take an inventory of the files you think you might be moving over and see how much space they’re currently taking up. Once you’ve seen how much space you’re currently using, imagine how much space that could multiply to over the next few years, and judge how large an external hard drive you might need from there. Here in the computer lab, we think the average computer user could have a 320GB or 500GB external hard drive and would be set for quite a few years.
And there you have it folks! A few easy (and relatively cheap) ways to get your computer back on the right track. Any further questions or comments, don’t be afraid to leave a post and one of our qualified computer interns will get back to you as soon as possible!
1) Cleaning out your PC - As time goes on, your computer can become bogged down with files and information that you no longer use. By using Windows Disk Cleanup, your computer will identify what programs and files are rarely used and no longer needed, and ask you if you would like to get rid of them. To run Windows Disk Cleanup:
Click Start
and open the menu; click All Programs; open Accessories; open System Tools; choose Disk Cleanup; choose which system you want the computer to clean up (usually the C: drive) - click OK; the computer will determine how much space can be cleaned up, which may take a few minutes; decide which of the provided files you wish to delete (done so by clicking the boxes on the left of each file system - turns into a check mark when clicked); click OK.2) Decrapify it! - Just like files, your computer can run incredibly slowly when there are programs that you don’t use and software that comes pre-installed still on your computer. Thankfully, the PC Decrapifier has been invented! The program is free to download and helps the user to un-install and get rid of junk that has built up on your computer over time - even BRAND NEW PCs can benefit from a good decrapifing. The Decrapifier will walk you through, step-by-step, to ensure that you are the one deciding what does and does not get removed.
To download the PC Decrapifier, visit http://pcdecrapifier.com/ and get started!
Caution: When running the Decrapifier program, only delete files and programs that you are positive you will no longer need. We recommend that you create a System Restore Point first, so that in case you do accidentally remove something, you can restore your computer to a point before those programs have been removed.
To create a System Restore Point in Windows Vista or Windows 7:
Click Start
and open the menu; click Control Panel; click System and Security; choose System; click System Protection; click Create; type a description of the Restore Point you are creating (i.e. Before Decrapifier), click Create.You can also perform this manually through Add/Remove Programs, and clicking Uninstall a Program.
3) Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware software - Obviously, everyone knows that you need a good anti-virus program on your PC to ensure that your information and your computer is safe. There are tons of software available to the average computer user - both free and pay for - but here in the computer lab, we’ve got our favourite: Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). The reason that we encourage the use of MSE is that -
a) It’s FREE
b) It’s been designed to run with your Windows PC easily in the background
c) It has comprehensive anti-virus coverage - automatically updating its virus database once a day
d) It does the work for you - MSE tracks any attempted virus or malware (malicious software designed to access your personal information) attacks and notifies you only if action is needed; giving you the final say in what happens on your computer.
Other options out there include other freeware like AVG or Avast, but users often find that those programs become “nagware”, constantly asking you to upgrade to the paid-for versions.
Paid-for virus protection like McAfee and Norton often boast superior protection, but for the price you’re paying, we don’t find they’re worth it. Plus, if you do ever decide to get rid of the software, un-intalling the programs have been known to cause problems on computers, and in one case we’ve seen, even prevented the computer user from accessing the internet entirely!
You can always download the free MalwareBytes program to run extra malware protection if you’re doubting any anti-virus software you have installed - this is the only supplementary protection that will run with existing anti-virus protection.
Just remember, what ever route you decide to go, if you already have existing anti-virus software on your computer you will need to remove that before you can download another program.
4) Closing Background Tasks - Upon starting your computer, there are often tasks that begin automatically whether or not you need to use them. These tasks sit open on your computer chewing up valuable resources. For example, Skype often starts up automatically on your computer and uses a TON of memory that you could be putting towards the task that you are currently attempting to complete. These programs often hide on your taskbar at the bottom of the computer screen, under the “Show Hidden Icons” button
. Exit any programs that you do not need running (i.e. Skype, Windows Live Messenger) by right-clicking on the icon and clicking Close Program or Exit Program.5) Auto-Updates - Programs that you have on your computer that are constantly checking for updates can also cause your computer to lag. By asking the programs to remind you to check for updates, or by turning off auto-updates completely, you can cut back on the amount of background work that your computer is doing while you’re trying to complete your own tasks. Remember, if you turn off auto-updates completely, you’re going to need to check for updates manually every couple of weeks! The top programs that take advantage of auto-updates include Windows Updates, Java, Adobe and Flash.
6) Defragmentation - if your computer is running on an operating system older than Windows 7 (Windows 7 will defrag automatically), a simple and often very effective solution for helping your computer get some of its pep back is to Defragment. XP and Vista run the defragmenter on a schedule, but defragmenting manually can help. To do so:
Click Start
and open the menu; click All Programs; open Accessories; open System Tools; click Disk Defragmenter; choose Defragment.Remember, for those of you still using Windows XP, it’s important to get switched over to Windows 7 - Windows 8 will be shipping in October 2012, and from what we’ve heard, not many people like it. If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 7 by then, you’ll be stuck using Windows 8. Also, according to Network World, “most organizations should try to eliminate Windows XP by 2012”, due to the fact that newer versions of software and programs will not be compatible with XP and Microsoft will no longer be making security updates for XP, leaving your computer vulnerable. (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/060210-gartner-windows-xp.html)
7) Saving to an External Hard Drive - Having an external hard drive to save your large files like music, photos and videos to can be an extremely handy tool when it comes to speeding up your PC. Although cleaning out your hard drive does not INCREASE the speed of your PC (you would need to upgrade your RAM), according to Tips4PC, “If you find yourself downloading a lot of files it is always better to remove them from your computer to store somewhere else. This way your computers performance will not be effected by storing unnecessary files, data, and movies”. (http://tips4pc.com/articles/computer%20basics/what_is_an_external_hard_drive_a.htm)
By keeping the biggest, most plentiful files that you have but don’t access all the time on an external hard drive, you’re cutting down the amount of work your computer has to go through every time it starts up and wants to perform functions. Just think, it’d be a heck of a lot easier to find your favourite book on your shelf if you kept all those old books you’ve already read stored in a different room!
External hard drives range in size from 320GB (currently $59.99 at Best Buy) to 4TB (currently $299.99 from Tiger Direct). To decide how much space you need, take an inventory of the files you think you might be moving over and see how much space they’re currently taking up. Once you’ve seen how much space you’re currently using, imagine how much space that could multiply to over the next few years, and judge how large an external hard drive you might need from there. Here in the computer lab, we think the average computer user could have a 320GB or 500GB external hard drive and would be set for quite a few years.
And there you have it folks! A few easy (and relatively cheap) ways to get your computer back on the right track. Any further questions or comments, don’t be afraid to leave a post and one of our qualified computer interns will get back to you as soon as possible!
