Slow Computer? Why it Sucks and How to Repair It

So many reactions to a slow computer. I know I’ve had many. From smacking the monitor to hitting the computer on the side. Thinking maybe, just maybe if I hit it enough it will go faster. Not knowing that I’m doing all the wrong things. When you’re technology illiterate and don’t know much about computers. There’s times when you strongly believe what your doing is working even though the Blue screen of death is there to remind you that you actually made it worse. You may even go as far as to pound on the keyboard, thinking maybe it will fix itself, only to see no response.

There are many ways to fix a slow computer. I will be naming the most effective and easy to do ways, as most of us are not very computer literate and need to know technology translated into kindergarten language. We need it dumbed down and not extremely technical. Sometimes it can be a pain to even find that.

• Defragging a computer can speed up your computer by checking the entire hard drive for errors and duplicates in files and fixing them. The defrag tool can be accessed by going to the start bar, to programs, accessories, system tools and defragmentation tool. It can take hours sometimes so find something useful to do cause watching the process is a bit boring. The result is faster access to your files and programs, no more errors on your hard drive and a faster computer.

• Scanning for Viruses, Trojans, and Mal-ware will help your computer immensely. This can be performed by downloading or buying anti-virus software, I prefer Mcafee Virus Scan as it has proven to actually work when it comes to finding and removing them from a computer. Some virus scanners actually slow down your computer and force you to have them on. You have to kind of weigh between being protected and slow or being unprotected and being fast. There is no need to constantly be protected, I believe a scan once every week will do. You need your speed in order to do what you need to do in a timely manner and also to have fun.

• You will be amazed at how much storage temporary internet files can build up over time. Anytime you go on the internet, the computer downloads everything on the web page in order to access it faster next time your there. These files can slow down your internet experience and take over your storage space. These can be deleted using disk cleanup. The disk cleanup tool can be accessed by going to the start bar, to programs, accessories, system tools and then click disk cleanup. After cleaning, your computer will be free of age old files and your internet browsing experience will be much faster.

• Uninstalling old programs that are probably just collecting hard drive space is also a great way to free space on your hard drive and also speed up your computer. This can be done by clicking start, then control panel, then add/remove programs.

• If you would like a fresh start. Restore your computer to factory default/reset or reinstall your operating system. Make sure to always have these CD’s available in order to perform this action:

1. Recovery CD’s that came with you purchased computer. If lost, contact your computer manufacturer (such as Dell, Compaq, Sony, Acer, etc.).

2. Windows/Mac/Linux Operating System Discs. These can be useful for other things such as repairing a bad installation or formatting a drive.

Thanks for your time

Anthony Hayes

The Slow Computer Specialist