Why Is My Computer So Slow?...

A lot of people often ask this question –‘why is my computer so slow?!’ Well, there could be several explanations to this question based on your computer’s condition. One can only tell you the exact reason only after examining your computer. Here are some guidelines as to how you can determine the reason and improve the speed.

With the technology changing every day, if you have bought your computer like a year ago, then it is probably slow because of the out dated technology. While you get the latest software’s off the internet, the much required hardware upgrade to run these programs is often neglected. One another reason could be because of the incompatible hardware. Most of the software programs run on old machines they will be more efficient when run on a better technology. For instance, a process defined for a dual core processor might run on single core processor but taking up too much time and resources.

If you are facing this problem even with latest hardware, then it might be due to the OS and programs you are running or due to the viruses. Here is what you can do to increase the speed in such cases.

In a Windows based machine, registries which store the program information might get clogged when there are too many installations and uninstallation of applications. This can be rectified by cleaning the registries once in a while. There are thousands of programs which will do this for you. Get one of those freeware programs and clear your registry.

Another reason for your computer to be slow is because you are running too many background processes. These are generally known as daemon processes which run in the background without user’s intervention. If one of these processes has errors, then all the resources might be diverted to support this activity. The solution is to go to the process scheduler and cancel this process so that the resources are let free.

There are these memory issues which also render your compute slow. If your hard drive is full, then the indexing would be partial making it hard to find any file on your computer which might be taking too much time. The remedy to this is to add some extra memory or to free up some memory. Another kind of memory error is insufficient RAM. This could happen when you are trying to run huge programs which have very rich graphics. If you do not hav enough RAM for this, it will start using your secondary device as Ram which might make it slow. Just by adding some more RAM will solve this problem.

If you are a heavy internet user, then there are all kinds of websites which install adware and download viruses to your system. These programs might be eating up your computer resources. Get a good antivirus and spyware detector and delete these files so that the resources are freed for use.

Ways To Speed Up Your Computer...

If you have been using your PC for sometime and you feel as if it is increasingly slowing down – then you are probably right. Every computer that is used for a considerable period of time is bound to start slowing down. And unlike what many people think, in most cases a computer’s gradual slowdown has nothing much to do with its hardware components. In most cases, the root cause of a computer slowing down is the software installed on it and what you do with it. Luckily there are some simple things which cost you very little or no money, and which you can do to boost your computer’s speed.

Viral infections are one of the major reasons behind a computer slowing down – and it is advisable that you not only keep an up-to-date copy of antivirus software continually running in the background of your computer, but also ensure that you carry out a comprehensive scan at least once monthly to clean up computer viruses that might have escaped the dragnet of the antivirus software. Of course, if the antivirus was not able to stop the installation of these viruses, it might not then be in a position to uproot them. But just knowing of the existence of the virus in the computer can be starting point of a process through which you can manually remove the viruses from the computer. This step costs you nothing.

Too many redundant programs installed (and probably continually running in the background) is another major cause of computer slowness. All these redundant programs eat up computing resources – and in fact compete for these same resources with useful programs. The thing to do about this is to install only programs that you really need on your computer – and ensure that you un-install those that you no longer have real use for. Indeed, you should integrate the un-installation of programs that have turned redundant as part of your regular PC clean up routine. This step too, costs you nothing.

Low computer memory can also cause computer slowness – and the thing to do is to increase your computer’s memory (through the widely available memory chips) to match your computing memory needs. Most modern computer motherboards come with expansion slots where you can fit in these memory chips and sort out your memory problems. The memory chips cost very little money in most cases – and can solve a lot of your computing woes.

Corruption of your computer’s registry is another major reason behind computer slowness. The computer’s registry, as it were, logs every operation that the computer performs, and is therefore prone to get cluttered with continued computer use. It is for this reason that you have to include registry clean up as an integral part of your regular computer clean up routine. Take care, though, that you don’t delete essential registry entries during your PC registry clean up routine – because doing this can cripple your computer completely.

Learn More About Spyware...

Spy ware is software which is secretly installed in the PC. This is done without the permission and approval of the person. Some software are installed by seeking permission from the computer owner. Programs like Adware are marketing softwares which are uploaded in the computer.

The difference in Adware and Spyware is the permission from the user. Spyware is loaded without the permission of the owner and it could lead to many problems in the computer. Most of the computer users want to get rid of this software from their personal computers. On the other hand, Adware is installed by taking permission from the PC users.

The first and foremost step in the removal of spyware from your computer is identifying whether there indeed there is spyware software loaded on the computer. In case it has been uploaded, then the next step has to be taken. Research studies have deduced that close to 80% of PCs are loaded with spyware and close to 90% of PC users are not even aware of this. Only when the computer starts giving problems, do they realize that spyware could be the problem.

Pop up messages are an indication that the computer is facing problems. Numerous advertisements which pop up while opening the PC are really irritating. This is a result of the spyware which has been inbuilt in the PC. This happens even when you are not using the web service. These pop up advertisements are extremely frustrating and it slackens the speed of your computer. It is not very easy to delete the toolbars which are added automatically without the browser’s knowledge. New home pages are added without the consent and approval of the PC user. If you are not so lucky, it also happens that important data is also sometimes erased out. This could lead to so many other problems.

But there certainly is a way out. There are many spyware removal programs which help in finding out whether spyware is loaded in the computer. Some of these programs also help in deleting spyware.

Most of the spyware removal softwares do not charge anything for cleaning. But some programs complete the cleaning process and then charge for a fee. Some genuine examples are Ad Aware and SpyBot.

Most of the spyware removal programs help in getting rid of the spyware from the PC. It is advised that you load about 2 to 3 programs. There could be possibilities that there are programs which are difficult to remove. You could browse the net and look out for options to sort out this problem. Following the instructions methodically would help in removing spyware as well as viruses which slow down the computer.

Delete Computer History...

Commonest of the computer problems are that the computer does not reboot. Some computers are so bad that they take as long as 30 minutes to startup. You need to know the right approach to solve this problem. Some of us look out for cheaper and practical methods and solutions like more RAM or a totally new processor etc. In case you like to shell out money for a Registry Cleaner, please go ahead with it.

A Registry Cleaner helps to identify the problem in the computer and then you need to individually identify each one so as to solve the problem. The Registry is very much like the filing system of a company. When the computer starts, it has to individually go through thousands of files, to locate exactly what we are looking for. In case the Registry detects errors, it would try and sort out the problems during the startup itself. This is when there is a time delay and slow boot up is the end results of this problem. In case you are receiving error messages which the boot up, then it is imperative that you get the Registry Cleaner software which helps you settle many problems.

Certain problems like a slow bootup have absolutely no connection with the Windows. The BIOS initiates the startup process and then goes ahead with the device configuration to then boot the OS. In case the configuration is totally messy sending out abstract commands, this results in a slow boot up. The BIOS can be accessed in a different mode, depending on the make of your Mother Board.

To start the procedure, you need to first on the computer. Hold down delete.

Identify the Boot Menu in the BIOS.

Click on the Quick boot and ensure the hard drive emerges first in BOOT ORDER.

Press turn off and then restart the computer once again.

The following steps need to be followed and applied so that the computer does not take longer to boot:

ON BOARD sound / GRAPHICS

Go for this option if you have installed a third party sound graphic card.

The steps initiated are:

First click on the Onboard Device. Then, the onboard chips need to be disabled. Unused network adapters need to be turned off.

The next step is to restart your computer.

Default Settings of Boot Menu:

In case you are using Vista or XP, one way of accessing the boot menu is by loading MSCONFIG. The boot up time helps you identify the hardware and software. This time can be shortened by enhancing the speed of the computer.

The steps which need to be followed are:

Click on the Start menu

Press the Run key

Type msconfig in the command screen

Click on BOOT tab

Default settings could be changed from 30 seconds to 5 seconds (Time out) part.

Computer Slow – Optimise...

It is found that a new computer works very well in the initial few months and late on becomes slower and takes a longer time to perform tasks. Is there a solution to this and do we have to live with this problem. What does one need to do to maintain the computer so that it works optimally without any problems?

It is a misconception that as the computer gets older, just like humans it starts showing signs of aging. The fact is there is nothing like that. In case your computer starts behaving vaguely, it indicates that there is a problem in the computer.

Many factors affect the working of the computer like a low memory or a fragmented drive. Each time software is loaded or deleted in the computer, we are creating problems for our computer. The downloaded programs get stored as junk fragments and it heavily affects the speed and performance of our computer.

Following are the reasons for the slow down of your computer:

When there are too many programs running in the background – Software applications running in the background even when you are not using the computer. This could choke up valuable space and slow down the performance of the computer considerably. To identify if there are programs working behind the scene click Control +Alter + Delete. You could find many programs running simultaneously.

If your hard drive is overflowing with data, space is occupied and this is another reason for slow performance of the computer. Your hard drive should have at least 2 MB of free space

Fragmented Hard Drive – The more the number of programs and softwares downloaded from the internet, the more the hard drive would get fragmented. The PC has to really do a tough job of identifying the files which are required by you

Left over Parts

During the process of downloading programs from the internet, sometimes parts of applications are left behind which hinders the working of the computer. It may also happen that you might unknowingly delete some files. Please note those softwares like Spyware and also other virus related software slow down the working of the computer.

You could convert your computer into a brand new one:

Even though it may appear to be funny, it is quite possible to make your computer work like it has never worked before. This can be achieved by running the Windows Tools program. You need to click on start, press all programs and then accessories and then click the system tools key. There are many ways to assist you in creating more disk space, help with defragmentation of the PC, identify and sort out disk errors.

There are many other programs which help in accelerating the performance of the computer. These softwares help in optimizing the computer capability.