Tips for a slow computer

RESTART YOUR COMPUTER REGULARLY

Sometimes the easiest procedure can get the job done. As simple as it seems, restarting your computer at least once a week does wonders for your system. It flushes out the RAM and ends processes and services that did not close out gracefully. Restarting may be a hassle sometimes but it might be the only thing you’ll need to speed up an abnormally sluggish PC.

It may sound like a joke but your IT guy may be on to something when he says “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

DECLUTTER YOUR DESKTOP

Cleaning up your Windows Desktop can help speed things up. Operating memory is used every time Windows is started.

If you have dozens of files on your Desktop, they could be using lots of operating memory. This will cause the computer to run slower because there is less available memory. That can bog the system down as information gets swapped out from operating memory to the hard drive.

One solution is instead of keeping files on the Desktop, put them in the My Documents folder.

SYSTEM FILE CHECKING

System program files control all activities in Windows, including applications. These files could be corrupted or changed by viruses, new software and other problems. This could cause an unstable Windows operating system.

The System File Checker (SFC) program scans system files and swaps out wrong or corrupt files with correct Microsoft files. This could fix a computer that has been running erratically.

Using the SFC is a simple process. Just click the Start button. Then click “Run” and type in SFC/SCANNOW. Then click OK.

UNINSTALL UNUSED PROGRAMS

Most of the time, we have applications we have installed, used once and have totally forgotten about. These programs still occupy hard drive space and may even have temporary files and folders installed. They could even be running in the background, sucking out memory and resources so it is in your best interest to track them down and uninstall them.

To do this in Windows 10, go to Settings >> System >> Apps and Features. This will list all the programs and apps you have currently installed with their corresponding size. To remove, just click on the program or app then choose “Uninstall.”

DEFRAGMENT YOUR DRIVES

Another thing that could be slowing you down is a fragmented hard disk. This will make your system slower by taking more time to find the resources that it needs. Defragmenting your hard disk will make it more efficient by rearranging the data.

Windows 10 optimizes and defragments drives automatically according to schedule. If you want to perform a manual defrag, just search for “Defragment and Optimize Drives.” Here, you could choose your target drive and click “Analyze” or “Optimize.”