“How can I make my PC run faster?”
This article will run through some of the techniques you can use to answer the question, “How can I speed up my PC?”. I’m going to mention some items you can execute yourself and also tell you where you can find software programs to help you with the task. Sorry Mac users, this is mostly written for PC but I’m sure you’ll find some helpful hints in here too.
I must mention firstly that when you make changes on your computer it can cause unwanted results like crashes or can cause some programs to not function as they did before. The items mentioned in this article have been tested on my computer but if you have a different set up, operating system, file structure and installed programs list it could cause a different result to what I had. Please be sure to back up your computer before trying any new techniques and make sure you thoroughly read up on how to use any software program you decide to use. If the software you try includes a backup feature to restore to a point before a clean up then make sure you use it so you can reverse any changes it makes. Think carefully before you rush into any major clean ups and make sure you don’t delete anything you should not.
So, now that we have you in cautious mode, let’s get on with making your computer run quicker. You can try any or all of the items below. Some will result in a dramatic increase in speed and others will have a small increase depending on the current state of your computer and what you have installed. Sometimes you’ll need to restart your computer a couple of times before you see any real benefit.
1. Run a thorough virus and spyware scan, it will take some time but well worth it. Viruses and Spyware are the number one cause of slow computers. If you have a good antivirus installed you should run that first. Then run Spybot Search and Destroy, it’s free. Then after you have done that run MalwareBytes (there is a free version but please consider buying the full version if it helps you as it a brilliant bit of software and has saved my computer on several occasions).
If the above programs pick up any serious threats be sure to write down the names of the viruses or worms before you delete them. Some of the more persistent threats will repopulate even after you’ve removed them and if you’ve written down their names then you can Google it to see what else you need to do in order to remove it. It can sometimes take a bit of work to get a virus fully sorted out.
2. Go through your list of installed programs and uninstall any programs you don’t use and are not likely to use in the future. Make sure you save or have a copy of any programs on a disk if you’re not sure. In Windows it’s best to use the “Add or Remove Programs” utility in your control panel (normally found when you click the “Start” button) as you can see when you last used the program and how much space it’s taking up. If you’re like me and you install a lot of stuff this can really increase the speed of your computer if you’re low on disk space.
3. Try to keep your free space on the C Drive at about 40-60%. If you have a large amount of data, audio, video or images files (like photos) that you don’t regularly use then consider backing them up to an external source and removing them from your computer. If they are important make sure you have them backed up to at least 2 places. You can consider using an external hard drive, high quality DVDs, high quality USB Drives and also online backup services like Carbonite, SugarSync, Mozy or Acronis Online Backup.
4. Remove items from your Startup that you don’t need. When you install programs onto your PC they sometimes add themselves to your Startup menu so they will run every time you start your computer. Many of these are unnecessary and will slow down both your start up and general running speed. To remove items from your startup go to:
- Start, Run, then type in “msconfig” and press OK.
You should now see the System Configuration Utility pop up.
Go to the Startup tab and you’ll see a whole list of programs. You need to be careful here as some of the programs are necessary to run your computer so I normally only remove the ones I’m dead sure I want to remove. Some of the names will not clearly identify the program so you may need to do a web search on the item name to see what it does. You’ll want to keep items like your Internet security in there and your automatic backup scheduler if you have one. You can remove items that you don’t use on a day to day basis or that you can easily run when you need to use them. I removed my BluTooth utility, TomTom updater, My DVD software utility, iTunes, Napster, Google Talk etc.
5. Run a disk defragment session. This will help get rid of spaces and fragments on your computer’s hard disk and should speed up your computer. I’d recommend running it at least once a month but also whenever you add or remove a lot of files or install new programs. There is a built-in defragger in Windows, you can find it by going to:
- Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then select Defragment
I prefer to use a tool that’s dedicated to the task of defragmenting. Right now I’m running Diskeeper as it’s far faster than the Windows version and runs constantly in the background to keep my PC in good shape. They do have a 30 day free trial version if you’d like to give it a spin.
6. Empty your Recycle Bin. This is quick and easy – just go to your desktop, right click on the Recycle Bin and then “Empty
7. Remove Temporary Internet Files. If you have large amounts of temporary Internet files it could cause a slow down. The steps below may vary slightly depending on your operating system but should be fairly similar.
- Quit Internet Explorer, Firefox or any browsers that you’re using
- Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Internet Options.
- On the General tab, click Delete Files under Browsing History or Temporary Internet Files.
- In the Delete Files/Browsing History dialog box, select all the items you’d like to delete. Be aware that if you select cookies, passwords and form data you’ll have to enter those in again for your various websites so consider if that’s important to you. Click OK or Delete
- Click OK
8. Remove as many icons from your desktop as possible. If you really do use those icons regularly and feel that you have to have them there then try to at least organize them into folders where possible.
9. Add more RAM to your computer. Check what the limit is for your computer and if you are able then buy some more RAM. This should help speed up processing time. If you’re not sure how to do this do a web search and you should find plenty of info relating to your computer model.
10. Software programs. OK, this is the bit where you need to be extra careful. The programs listed below can help to speed up your computer. Most use a combination of the techniques listed above with some additional processes like network and registry optimizers. Be particularly careful with any products that will be making changes to your computer’s registry and other settings as they can really mess things up if they delete the wrong program entries. Don’t even consider using a program that does not allow you to restore your computer to its previous state after you’ve made registry changes unless you really know what you’re doing
Computer Tune-Up Programs. Some of these include registry cleaners
SpeedUpMyPC from Uniblue
Desktop Maestro from PC Tools
Fix-It Utilities 10 Professional from Avanquest
Norton Utilities from Symantec
PC Tune-Up from Large Software
SLOW-PCfighter from Spamfighter
Drive Genius 2 – This one is for Mac users!
Registry cleaners (all those listed below will allow you to restore after use – make sure you understand how to do this before you use the program)
Registry Booster from Uniblue
Registry Mechanic from PC Tools
Registry Repair – DT Utilities
Registry Reviver – ReviverSoft
RegZooka – Blue Penguin
You can find discount codes for most of the software titles mentioned above if you visit our main website