Saturday, November 8, 2014

The Slow Computer: How To Speed Things Up

By Frankline Bell


There are many reasons why a PC begins to act sluggish, some of which are more serious than others. To speed up your system, consider trying out the following tips.

A computer is like a huge electronic file cabinet, and when this "cabinet" fills up, it starts to slow down a bit. Many of these files can and probably should be deleted. To clean up your PC, head to the Start button and type in "Disk Cleanup." This will bring up a list of files that you can remove from your computer. Usually a big chunk of these will be called temporary files. These are created when you create a new document or spreadsheet and they are helpful in recovering lost data if you have an unexpected shutdown. However, they only have a temporary use, so it's fine to delete them and this might help speed up the PC.

When you turn on a computer, this "starts up" a variety of different programs. Some of them are necessary for the start-up process, but some don't actually have to turn on the minute you turn on your computer. To see what pops on automatically, head to the Start button and search for "msconfig" and a file will pop up showing you the System Configuration box. You can check off stuff that you don't need to have on all the time, such as Skype or maybe AOL's Instant Messenger, unless you use them often. Don't uncheck items from sources such as Microsoft, Apple or your computer's manufacturer or your antivirus programs, as these do need to start up when your computer does.

Another option is to uninstall programs that take up a ton of space, especially if you never use them. Be careful to only uninstall programs that you are sure you don't need, such as games you no longer play or perhaps old software that is irrelevant or anything else that your computer doesn't need but takes up a decent amount of space. If you aren't sure what to delete, do some research prior to uninstalling each program.

Sometimes malware can cause a computer to slow down, and this malicious software can cause a lot of headaches. There are malware removal programs to consider, but if you think that you might have a virus or Trojan or other malware, it can be easier to simply call for computer repair services. Portland has many companies that can help with this, including GeeksAKnockin', which provides Portland computer repair, Hillsboro computer repair, computer support in Beaverton, computer support in Hillsboro and throughout the Portland area.

One service that this Portland IT support company provides is their Accelerate and Protect My PC service. This includes speeding up that sluggish computer, as well as removing spyware and viruses, optimizing the Windows startup and shutdown processes, installing security updates, cleaning up a desktop, removing unwanted programs and enabling anti-phishing controls. They'll even verify that all of your hardware and software are functioning properly. After this, your computer should be protected and running smoothly.




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