If you are constantly finding that your slow computer is causing frustration, stress and lost productivity – it may be time for you to look into ways of speeding up your Windows computer.  Fortunately, there are a number of “little things” that you can do to improve your computer’s performance, speed, and efficiency.  In order to help you out, we have put together a list of four methods that you can use to speed up your Windows XP computer.

Speed up XP #1 – defragment your hard drive

When the files on your hard drive become fragmented, your computer has to work extra hard when you are opening up certain files and programs, which can lead to a slow PC.  By defragmenting your hard drive, you are essentially “cleaning house” and allowing your computer to operate more efficiently, therefore speeding up your computer by putting things back into order.

Speed up XP #2 – clean your temporary files

While an overabundance of temporary files aren’t a always the major culprit when it comes to sluggish behavior with your PC, they can cause your web browser to lag and they will cause performance issues if your computer is low on hard drive space.  Programs such as Crap Cleaner (www.ccleaner.com) can clean up those temporary files and restore hard drive space where it was lacking.

Speed up XP #3 – reboot often

Many computer users fail to recognize the importance of regularly rebooting their computer, but it can play a significant role in your PCs efficiency and speed.  Some people leave their PCs running for days or even weeks on end – through memory leaks and applications that do not close properly; your system’s available memory is being “eaten up”, so to speak.  By rebooting your computer on a regular basis, you are eliminating the effects of excess memory usage, which tends to be a major contributor to the slow computer problem.

Speed up XP #4 – use a registry cleaning tool

When your Windows registry has been used over a period of time, it becomes filled with obsolete, redundant and even invalid information.  These problematic entries can lead to sluggish behavior and a wide array of other problems.  By eliminating the errant and unnecessary registry entries, you can restore your computer to its optimal running state and therefore improve its speed.

In many cases, improving your PCs performance can be achieved through a few simple steps.  By following this tutorial, you should be able to speed up Windows XP, regardless of your computer experience level.

Whether you use your computer for play or for pay, it is safe to say that having your PC in good running condition is important to you.  Now, computer maintenance may not cross your mind until you have a problem, and that is a commonality amongst non-technical computer users.  However, just because computer maintenance is not at the forefront of your mind does not mean that it is not important – regular computer maintenance is just as important as the maintenance that you regularly perform on your car or truck.

It is really an apt analogy; if you want your vehicle to run smoothly, you need to change the oil, rotate the tires, and change the filters from time to time.  Likewise, if you want your PC to operate at full capacity and avoid future problems, you need to use a registry scan and repair program on occasion.

Registry cleaning – routine maintenance for your PC

Your Windows registry is the head of operations for your computer; it stores information and settings for nearly every process and program that runs on your PC.  Over the course of time, through regular usage, program installation and removal, hardware upgrades and so forth – your registry is in constant demand.   Much like a vehicle in dire need of an oil change, your registry can become “gummed up” with junk and will lead to PC slowdown and possibly catastrophic errors.  By cleansing the registry of its “junk”, you can restore it to its optimal state and avoid future problems.

Why a comprehensive registry cleaner is necessary

The truth of the matter is that there are multitudes of choices for PC users when it comes to choosing a registry-cleaning tool.  From freeware to shareware to $250 PC optimization programs, there are a large number of these tools for PC users to sift through. The biggest problem, however, is that some of these programs do not offer the features that allow you to clean up your computer effectively.

For instance, some registry cleaning tools only offer to remove empty entries; this is a good feature, but empty registry entries are only a part of the problem.  For instance – invalid class keys, invalid shell extensions, and outdated driver locations can all cause sluggish PC performance and even intermittent errors.  In order to clean your computer’s registry effectively, you need a registry-cleaning tool that offers this type of cleaning power.

We personally use RegCure’s registry cleaner for all of our PCs with great success.  Not only does it remove invalid class keys and empty registry entries, it cleans up invalid shortcuts and gives us the option to backup our registries before cleaning them. A registry backup feature is a must-have option for Windows computer users who want the assurance that they have the option to restore their registry to a previous state in the event of a complication during a previous cleaning.

The benefits of a comprehensive registry scan and repair program are easy-to-see: you get a more efficient computer with limited effort and a wide-array of benefits that make this regular PC maintenance  “chore” a piece of cake.