Have you ever wondered how to improve PC performance? Do you often wish that your computer would move between programs a little faster? If you have answered “yes” to either one of these questions, this computer maintenance guide will prove to be a helpful resource. In today’s economic turmoil, it is important to save money and to avoid having to make big purchases, such as buying a new computer. This is why you should learn as much as you possibly can in order to properly maintain your computer system. By doing some basic maintenance tasks, you will be able to enjoy your system for much longer than if you did not engage in this practice. Here, I will outline 8 tips on how to improve PC performance.
Clear Temporary Files
If you want to improve the performance of your computer, one of the easiest steps that you can take is to clear temporary files. These files are often referred to as “internet files” or “cache”. When you visit online websites, the computer system that you are using will store the pages in the cache. This helps to view the pages more quickly when you visit them in the future. Typically, when you visit a page on the internet, the internet browser that you are using will have to download certain components in order to accurately display the page. While this is beneficial, it can cause some issues wit your computer if too many files are preserved on the system. The following steps will detail how to go about clearing temporary internet files from your system:
1. First, you should go to the “Control Panel” of your system.
2. Once the page has loaded, you will want to search for the option “Internet Options”.
3. Once you click on “Internet Options” make sure that you are on the “General Tab”.
4. Then, simply select “Delete Temporary Internet Files”.
Incorporate a Spyware Elimination Program
Incorporating a spyware elimination program can be extremely beneficial when it comes to the overall performance of your PC. Spyware is a type of software that has unique behaviors on the system. It has the potential to gather information about you that is considered to be personal, create advertisements that can slow down the performance of a PC, and it has the ability to reconfigure the actual settings that are part of your system. If your system has spyware on it, it may attempt to place an add on to the internet browser that you use, it may install a program that runs in the background, and it could even crash your system altogether. It is essential that you run a spyware elimination program at all times to ensure that your system is operating at optimal levels.
Remove Unnecessary Programs
In order to improve PC performance, it is important to remove unnecessary programs from your computer. If you have a lot of programs on your computer, it takes up space on your hard drive that can be used to focus on programs that you do use. As a result, performance is hindered. Simply go into the “Control Panel” of the computer that you are using and choose “Add/Remove Programs” for Windows XP, or “Programs” for Windows Vista. Scroll through the list and highlight any program you no longer require, and select “Change/Remove” in XP, or “Uninstall” in Vista. Once you have removed all the programs that you no longer need, be sure to reboot your computer so that the system settings can take place.
Remove Files Regularly
Do you have a lot of files on your desktop, in your documents, and other locations on your PC? If so, you will find if you remove them you can optimize the performance of your computer. Simply start with the desktop and right click on a file that you no longer need and select “Delete”. The system will inquire as to whether you are sure, confirm this. Once the desktop has been cleaned of unneeded files, go to other areas on your system such as “Documents”, “Pictures”, and other areas and do the same. Once you delete the files, they will be moved to the “Recycle Bin”.
Empty the Recycle Bin
The next of our 8 tips on how to improve PC performance is a relatively simple one. It is to empty the recycle bin on a regular basis. Many do this on a daily basis, some on a weekly basis, and others on a monthly basis. While the files in the bin are deleted from your computer, they are not actually removed and continue to take up much needed space on your computer. This is why you must empty the bin on a regular basis. All you have to do is to find the bin on your desktop, right click on it and select “Empty Recycle Bin”.
Manage Start Up Programs
When your computer is turned on, there are certain programs that come up in the task box near the clock of the system. In some instances, having too many loading at start up can result in your computer running in a sluggish manner and can affect the general performance of the computer system. If you are running Windows XP or Windows Vista, it is important to use the “Windows Defender” in order to manage the programs that start when your computers do. For XP users, you must visit the Microsoft website for download. Vista comes with this program already in place. The following steps outline how to manage programs with Windows Defender:
1. Click on the “Start” button.
2. Select “All Programs”
3. Locate “Windows Defender”
4. Next, you will see a list that displays all programs that are initialized when your computer starts. Simply highlight a program and select either “Disable” or “Remove”.
5. Be sure to restart the computer for the system settings to refresh.
Use an External Hard Drive
When it comes to performance, a lot of emphasis is placed on the hard drive of a computer. If the hard drive becomes bogged down with different programs and applications, it is quite likely that it will slow your system down. I highly recommend implementing the use of an external hard drive. You should use the external to install programs and to keep files that are important to you. In turn, your computer is not being bogged down by unneeded software, applications, shortcuts, and other types of files.
Defragment the Hard Drive
The last of our 8 tips on how to improve PC performance is to ensure that you engage in the process of defragmenting the hard drive of your system on a regular basis. The hard disk of your system often has a large number of “fragments” from various programs on your system. It does not take the time to store these pieces properly; it just places them in an empty spot. As a result, the system has to piece these components together properly when you implement the use of the programs. This can really hinder the performance in a major way. You will want to use the following steps to defragment your hard drive:
1. Locate “My Computer” on your system and right click on it.
2. Select the option “Properties”.
3. Once on the “Properties” page, click on the “Tools” tab.
4. Select “Defragment Now”.
Conclusion
There are many steps that can be used to improve the performance of your computer. In this guide, you have learned how to do the following:
1. Clear Temporary Files
2. Incorporate a Spyware Elimination Program
3. Remove Unnecessary Programs
4. Remove Files Regularly
5. Empty the Recycle Bin
6. Manage Start Up Programs
7. Use an External Hard Drive
8. Defragment the Hard Drive
If you implement the use of these 8 tips on how to improve PC performance on a regular basis, you will find that operation is smoother and you can do more in less time!
Tags: pc performance