So you suspect that age has finally caught up with your computer and you want to run a computer speed test to verify it?
A slow computer is not a great proposition. However, age has little to do with the rate of deflection. Most computers fail the computer speed test due to negligence on the part of the owner. Surprised?
Here are the most common causes of a slow computer, and some tips to help you prevent them. Why are computers running slow?
The most important reasons are:
• Malware infection
• A large number of programs running in the background
• Fragmented hard disk
• A bloated and / or fragmented registry
All of this can be easily resolved. Do you want to know how? Here are the answers:
Protecting your computer from malware
Malware infections, without a shadow of a doubt, are the most common cause of a slow computer. To troubleshoot malware issues, follow these steps:
1. Install reliable anti-virus software, if you don’t have one.
2. Update the antimalware software.
3. Restart Windows in Safe Mode.
4. Run a malware scan on your computer.
5. Take appropriate action (as recommended by the software) against the reported threats.
After removing all threats from your computer, it is imperative to keep your computer running optimally. Here are some tips to help protect your computer from malware:
• Regularly update your antivirus software and run a malware scan from time to time.
• Stay away from suspicious websites.
• Scan files downloaded from the Internet before running them.
• Scan email attachments before opening them.
Keep background programs to a minimum
Most of the programs you install also run in the background without your knowledge. Up to a hundred or more programs can run in the background at any one time. While many of these background processes are necessary, a few may be associated with programs you no longer use or need.
So what’s the solution? Simple – open Add or Remove Programs and remove any programs you don’t need. Moreover, download only the programs you really need. In addition, regularly check the list of installed programs and remove the ones you no longer use.
Keeping your hard disk defragmented
Without going into technical details, let’s understand the following facts:
1. A defragmented disk improves computer performance, while a fragmented hard disk slows down its performance.
2. Your hard disk will be fragmented while using your computer, unless you take corrective action.
So how do you prevent fragmentation or defragment a fragmented disk?
Disk Defragmenter is a built-in utility that allows you to defragment hard disks. Run this tool regularly (every 15-30 days) to prevent hard disk fragmentation.
Keeping the Windows registry clean
As with your hard drive, your Windows registry becomes bloated and fragmented over time due to prolonged use.
While Windows computers do not include registry maintenance software, many such utilities are available for free on the Internet. Install a reliable registry utility and run a thorough registry scan to remove unwanted registry entries. After running a registry scan, defragment the registry files, if the option is available.
To prevent registry errors in the future, perform a registry scan on a regular basis.
