Remember how fast your PC was when it was brand new? Back then it would start up within seconds and programs would load almost instantaneously. But how is it these days? Is it taking several minutes to start up and programs you load seem slow and unresponsive? This is a very common scenario and one that can be avoided with a little care and attention to these five common causes of a slow PC.
1. Not Enough Memory - It's important to have enough memory on your computer to keep programs running smoothly, especially if you have large programs like Microsoft Office, or play a lot of PC games. If you are using Windows XP it is recommended that you have at least 512Mb RAM, although at this point, 1Gb seems to be the sweet spot, more again if you are using Vista. The amount of RAM your PC has can be checked by right-clicking 'My Computer' and choosing 'Properties'. If you need to upgrade your RAM be sure it's the right type for your PC. Fitting the wrong type of RAM can cause the PC to slow down even more, crash inexplicably or stop working altogether.
2. Full Hard Drive - It's possible that your hard drive could be too full of data to function efficiently. If you use a digital camera or store video or music on your PC you can soon run out of disk space if you are not careful. As a rule of thumb it is best to keep 10% of the disk space free for programs to run smoothly. If you don't have this much free space, you can delete unused programs on the C: drive. Check your C: drive to see how much space you have on your computer. You can do this by going to 'Start' then 'My Computer' then 'C: drive'. Click on the C: drive and it will tell you how much free space you have under 'Details' on the left bar.
3. A Cluttered Registry - The 'Registry' is a collection of files that keep a record of all the many and complex file locations and configuration settings required by all the devices, applications and users of the PC. The longer you use Windows, the more cluttered your registry can grow, especially if you regularly install and uninstall software. Some applications, known as "orphan" registry entries, don't remove all traces of themselves when uninstalled, causing problems such as sluggish performance, system lockups, or a bloated registry that takes longer to load. It's worth considering registry cleaning software to make sure your registry is clean and uncorrupted.
4. Too Many Start-Up Programs - When you boot your computer, there are several programs that automatically start behind the scenes. These programs eat up your computer's available processing capacity and slow it down dramatically. Most likely, you don't need all of these programs to automatically start when you boot your computer.
5. Spyware and Malicious Programs - If you have ever experienced annoyances such as a new toolbar in your Internet browser, or a new start-up page that you did not set, you are likely plagued with spyware. Every PC should be protected using security software that includes anti-virus, anti-spyware and a firewall.
Tim Maguire holds a Masters degree in Computer Science and is a full-time computer consultant. For further help in protecting your PC against spyware, computer virus, hacking, spam, phishing and general PC security you should visit his website http://www.keepyourpcsafe.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Maguire
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