Computers and Technology

As a PC owner, from time to time, you get fed up and frustrated with the slowness of your computer. Maybe a certain program takes a long time to load, your PC boot-up time is ridiculously slow, or it takes forever just to do a simple task, like getting the start menu to open up.

Irrespective of what’s causing it, slow computers are something which millions of users have to deal with daily. Even though there is no guaranteed cure for a slow computer, there are however four things you can do to speed it up.

#1. Reboot your computer

Too many people never reboot their computers, and that is a major factor in the PC slowdown problem. In this day of always-on internet, and as our computers have become an integral part of our daily lives, many of us do not realize that PCs need to be rebooted from time to time in order for them to function at an optimal level.

Bear in mind that many software programs fail to shut down entirely even when you close them. Furthermore, many software programs also contain what is known as a memory leakage and this without a doubt has a direct impact on the computer’s available memory. This is because when a computer is using a large slice of its available memory, there is simply no way for it to be as efficient as what it was designed to be. By rebooting your computer you are essentially allowing it a chance to reset its memory and providing you do this from time to time, you’ll more than likely notice a considerable increase in speed.

#2. Upgrade your memory

One could almost say that a computer’s memory is like its muscles, in that if it doesn’t have sufficient available memory, it becomes weak and slow. In fact, insufficient memory is perhaps the biggest course for personal computers becoming slow and sluggish. Nowadays, you simply cannot get by without at least 512 megabytes of RAM, and that only if you’re running one of the older Windows operating systems such as XP for example. Those who are using the Windows Vista platform will require at least 1.5 GB of memory, while those using the new Windows 7 system will require at least 1GB. Irrespective of which operating system you’re using, you should ideally have at least 2 GB of memory if you have a 64-bit system, or if you frequently play games and run many programs simultaneously.

#3. Defragmenting the hard drive

The bottom line is; a hard drive which is never defragmented will always be inefficient. You can be rest assured that if you have not run a defragment tool, you’ll be sacrificing a considerable amount of speed. This is because when the files on your computer become fragmented, your machine has to work much harder in order for you to be able to access those files.

Remember, it’s not without reason that Microsoft includes a defrag tool with all of their operating systems. Essentially, you should defragment your hard drive at least once each month and providing you do so, the resultant increase in speed will certainly be noticeable. In fact, it will be even more noticeable if you haven’t run the defragment tool for quite some time.

#4. Registry cleaners

Just as a defragmenting tool helps to organize your hard drive, a registry cleaner helps to remove unnecessary clutter from the windows registry, bearing in mind that the registry can be compared to being a computer’s brain. Whenever you choose to install new programs, or remove old programs or drivers, a significant amount of data is either added or removed from your computer’s registry. Unfortunately however, the vast majority of programs fail to uninstall properly, and this often results in a certain amount of data remaining in the registry which should’ve in fact been removed. Of course, these pockets of data do nothing other than clutter up your registry and cause conflicts between programs and drivers. This in turn results in your system becoming increasingly slow, not to mention the fact that you’ll also begin experiencing frequent error messages. By running an effective registry cleaning tool regularly, you’ll be doing much in terms of improving the overall speed of your computer.

In the vast majority of cases the speed of a computer can be improved simply by applying the tips which have been mentioned above. Even though so many people experience their computer slowing down, that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to cope with, particularly if it gets to the stage where the computer will need to go in for repairs. Providing you put the above mentioned tips to use, you’ll at least be able to enjoy having an efficient computer rather than becoming frustrated with a sluggish machine.

Computers and Technology computers, pc performance, RAM, reboot, registry cleaner, rmemory upgrade

There was a used electronics store in my neighborhood that sold computers and components, many of them were not in operating condition. I bought several “junk” laptops for twenty dollars apiece in hope that I would be able to restore at least one of them. I was unaware of what was wrong with them at the time of purchase, but if I could get one or two of them working they would have been well worth their bargain price.

The first computer that I attempted to fix was a Compaq notebook that looked as if it were the newest of all the models. It would not power up so I assumed that something had to be wrong with the Compaq power supply. I went online and looked up how much it would cost me to purchase a new Compaq power supply. These replacement parts were fairly cheap and I found several websites that offered the correct battery for my model.

After a little comparison shopping, I purchased the battery that was average in price but it came with free regular shipping. After I installed the new Compaq power supply the computer powered right up. I was very happy with all of the programs and applications that were installed into this computer. It had the latest word processing program and many other programs and games preloaded. I decided to keep this notebook for my own personal use since it was in such great condition.

The next pc that I decided to work on was a Dell notebook. The Dell was a little older, and I noticed that it would power up and then freeze. I assumed that the computer had run out of memory, but I could not perform any tests since the screen froze seconds after I turned it on. After my success with the first computer I decided that I had nothing to lose by looking at prices for Dell RAM. I found several Dell RAM options that were available for the model that I had. I choose one of the more inexpensive memory chips since I wasn’t sure that it was the problem and I ordered it. The Dell RAM that I purchased had the lowest additional memory space that was available, but as soon as I installed it into the notebook it turned on and started up. I could not believe my good fortune; all these computers needed were some upgrades and replacement parts!

Computers and Technology Compaq, computers, Dell, RAM