This is a common problem to everyone who use computer. In order to computer works fine, you should have enough system configurations (such as good processor speed, memory, hard disk space etc) to run all the applications which installed on your computer. Sometimes computer run slow even you have good system configuration on your computer. Here I would like to share some quick tips which you can use to keep your computer performance as normal.
When you feel your computer runs slow, the first thing you need to do is monitor your computer and find out when it getting slow and what causing the problem. For this, you can use the Windows inbuilt tool task manager.
To start task manager press Ctrl, Alt and Delete key together on your keyboard.
Once it open, Select Performance Tab, here you can review your computer performance such as CPU and Memory usage. If you see CPU usage is high, you need to go to the next step to find out which process or program causing the problem. Select the process tab and find out which process is using high resources by sorting the Memory and CPU usage. If you find the process which uses high CPU, end that process to make your computer back to normal. Also disable or remove the corresponding program if you don’t required that process to run any more.
Follow the below steps to keep your computer performance as normal.
1. Remove un necessary Programs
You should have some old programs which installed and used a period of time and not using now. If there is any such unwanted programs remove it from your computer, which makes more disk space and release memory on your computer.
To remove programs, open Control panel and Select Add/Remove programs or Programs and Features. It displays installed programs on your computer and there should have an option to remove or uninstall the programs.
I have seen most of the users are using multiple Security Programs, Freeware, Tool bars on their computer. These programs will use much amount of memory on your computer especially the Antivirus programs because it need to be run on the background and check each and every process running on your computer for a real time protection. My suggestion is keep only one Antivirus and Tool bar for a better performance. Also make sure that you are not removing any program which required the normal function of the computer like drives.
2. Manage start up programs
I have seen that most of the users complaints that their computer running slow when its start up. You can maintain the start up speed using Windows inbuilt tool System Configuration Utility.
To start System Configuration Utility, click on start menu and select run or in search program and files type msconfig.
Once the System Configuration window is open, select the “Start Up” tab and here you can manage the start up programs. Just uncheck that program which you do not want to run at the start up and click on Apply and close the System Configuration Utility.
Note that there are some programs you should run at the start up like Antivirus, Wireless Internet connection drivers, printer etc.
3. Delete Un necessary files and Optimize Internet Explorer
The easiest and simplest way to delete unnecessary files from your computer is use Windows Disk Cleanup utility. Sometimes Windows uses files for a specific purpose and then retains them in a folder designated for temporary files. Alternatively, you may have previously installed Windows components that you are no longer using. For a variety of reasons, including running out of space on your hard drive, you may want to reduce the number of files on your disk, or create more free space, if it can be done without harming any of your programs.
To start Disk Cleanup, click Start, click Run, and then type cleanmgr.
Resetting Internet Explorer to default settings would help you to solve almost all the problem with your browser like stop responding (hang) or stop working (crash). Remember when you reset Internet Explorer settings, all add-ons and customizations are deleted, and you basically start with a fresh version of Internet Explorer.
4. Manage Virtual Memory
When your computer is running low on random access memory (RAM) and more is needed to complete your current task, Windows uses hard drive space to simulate system RAM. In Windows, this is known as virtual memory, and often called the page file. The default size of the virtual memory page file (appropriately named pagefile.sys) created during installation is 1.5 times the amount of RAM on your computer.
5. Disk Defragmentation
Doing disk defragmentation will increase the access speed by re arrange the files stored on a disk to occupy contiguous storage location.
To start disk defragmentation Open My Computer and Right-click the local disk volume that you want to defragment, and then click Properties. On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now. Click Defragment.
6. Scan your computer for Virus and Spyware
Another important factor to run the system is slow is virus infection. Scan your computer with latest virus definition to eliminate virus infection if any.
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