Slow PC?

PCs get cluttered over time, and there are various methods to improve performance without having to buy the latest and greatest upgrades or a whole new computer!

Use some of our tips for improving performance in your tired technology..

There can be many causes of slow PC/Laptops which can range from Malicious software, Cluttered hard drive, Faulty hardware, Corrupted software, Incompatible software, Damaged or Incompatible drivers, Virus's, Fragmented hard drive, Cluttered Profiles, unnecessary Start-up programs.

Malicious software: is a generic term for anything that has been installed on your machine without your knowledge or 'under the radar'.  Some forms of malicious software are deemed 'low impact'.  Programs similar to those that monitor your browsing habits to help target your internet experience when you next visit that company's website.  Others are deemed 'high risk' which can also include a 'keylogger'.  This form of malicious software can monitor every single key press and click of the mouse you make on any application on your computer and then send that information to a undisclosed server for access by the perpetrator at a later date. 

Cluttered Hard Drive: your hard drive is your PCs storage.  Think of it as a filing cabinet, if the cabinet is bulging with files and folders, finding the right file can be tedious and time consuming.  You may also have programs and files that you no longer use! removing these can free up space and reduce searching time.

Faulty Hardware: hardware is a term used for anything that you can physically touch.. a monitor, CD ROM drive etc.  Hardware can wear out and/or not function correctly.  This can cause your PC to constantly try to 'make it work' attempting to start it or access it over and over slowing the rest of the PC down while this happens.

Corrupted Software: software can get damaged in many ways, and as such should be regularly backed up!  corrupted software can cause programs to stop responding, and can also impact on operating system performance, if you are using XP or newer then you should enable System Restore in case you ever need to turn back the clock on your PC.

Incompatible software: there are many different kinds of operating systems (even from Microsoft!).  Some software is designed for a certain operating system or environment.  Fot instance: some software could be designed for Windows XP but can be run on Win7 in compatibility mode.  Some programs can install but cannot run properly and have issues when run on systems which have never been tested with the software.

Damaged or Incompatible drivers: as with 'incompatible software' (shown above) device drivers can also be written specifically for a certain operating system, and as drivers are also software, they too can be susceptible to corruption and damage.

Virus's: are just one of the malware family that can cause performance issues.  Others are Trojans, Keyloggers, Hijackers, Worms, Rootkits, ActiveX, & Redirects to name a few, all of these types of attacks can seriously impact on performance of any PC as well as compromise its security.

Fragmented hard drive: over a period of time folders and files on your hard drive are moved around when programs are installed and uninstalled or deleted, thus fragmenting the contents of your drive and placing empty space between your files and their corrosponding programs.  This increases the time it takes to load and run applications.

Cluttered Profiles: a profile is the account you log onto your PC with.  This holds all of your account settings, documents, music, movies, desktop icons etc.  Certain parts of your profile are loaded at startup (for instance your 'Desktop').  if you have a large folder or program or file on your desktop, the the PC has to load it every time it starts up and every time you switch to your desktop.  Clearing down the startup items on your profile to reduce its size will increase performance.

On Start-up programs: some programs startup when you turn your PC on.  Some are required (like your Anti Virus) however some are not.  Reducing the PC's non essential startup programs to optimize start and run times will also increase boot up times.