Slow PC performance is a major pain – a pain that is inevitably felt by computer owners everywhere from time to time.  It’s a hassle; there’s no doubt that slow PCs can be stress-inducing and headache-producing annoyances; annoyances that need to be fixed ASAP.  However, what can the average computer user do when they’re faced with the slow PC dilemma?

Do nothing and just deal with it

Yes, we know – this isn’t really a solution.  However, you may be surprised by the amount of people who choose inaction over a little bit of action and some effort.  In many cases, slow PC performance can be fixed with minimal effort and little out-of-pocket expense, if any.  Some people, for whatever reason, don’t take the initiative to fix their problems, though.  As we said before – this really isn’t a solution.

Upgrade your computer’s memory

We’ll leave the lazy people alone for a minute and get serious.  Quite honestly, a simple (and cheap) computer memory upgrade may be all that stands between you and a better performing PC.  Websites such as NewEgg.com sell computer memory at very reasonable rates, and swapping your computer’s memory is about as difficult as putting a spare tire on your vehicle. However, if you’re not technically inclined, maybe you have a spouse, sibling or even your kid may be able to handle this for you.

Perform routine maintenance on your computer

Your computer is like your automobile in some respects; namely, your vehicle requires regular maintenance in order for it to operate in the way that it was intended to.  It’s quite the same with your computer – it requires the occasional defragmentation, registry cleaning and temporary file cleaning in order to run efficiently.  It’s also a good idea to run a virus and spyware scan from time to time as well, just to clean out any stray critters that may have snuck into your system.

Remove excess programs

A major culprit in slow PC performance is having too many applications installed – if you’re the type of person to install a program, use it for a day and then leave it installed, maybe it’s time to take a trip to the Add and Remove Programs interface to weed through and remove the programs that you know you’re not going to use anymore.  If you find a bunch of games with a “Last Used On” date of a year ago or more… it’s time to clean house a little bit.

Dealing with slow PC performance can be daunting, but in reality, improving your computer’s speed doesn’t have to be all that difficult.  One more thing – we weren’t really poking fun at lazy people above, but it’s important to note that ignoring your PCs slow performance may cause more issues that are more severe in nature in the future.  If you’ve noticed that your computer has been getting slower – you really need to take action right away, if for nothing else than the sake of your computer.

As a computer user, there is one problem that plagues us all at one point or another: a slow running PC. From a slow startup, programs loading slowly (or not at all) and slow internet browsing – it’s aggravating and it really diminishes our productivity when we’re trying to work. Thankfully, there are a few ways that we can speed up our computers, and that’s what we’re going to touch on here.

Tip #1: Improve your computer’s speed by defragmenting

This is a super simple tip that you can use to speed up your computer, though it’s amazing that many computer users don’t know about this pre-installed, yet completely necessary tool.

When you use your computer over time, files get saved and moved and stored in different locations on your hard drive and they become “fragmented”. By running a defragmentation program you will be cleaning up your hard drive and improving the efficiency of your computer.

To access the defragmentation tool on your Windows PC, just:

1. Click the start button
2. Double click on “My Computer”
3. Right click on “Local Disk” (usually C:)
4. Choose Properties >> Tools >> Defragment now

Tip #2: Speed up your computer by using a registry cleaner

Your computer’s registry is the go-between for nearly every program that you run and every process that runs in the background on your Windows computer. Over time, your registry will become filled with outdated and even errant information; a registry cleaner will remove the excess and invalid entries, which will not only help to speed up your PC, it can help to prevent problems in the future.

Unfortunately Windows does not include a registry cleaning tool, but we recommend RegCure’s registry cleaner because it’s easy to use and it’s what we use to keep our computers running smoothly.

Tip #3: Clear your web browser’s cache and histories

When you’re browsing the internet, your Windows computer stores the web pages you visit, images and URLs on your computer. Over time, these files can take up an exorbitant amount of space and even slow down your web browser. By removing these excess files you may be able to speed up your overall PCs performance as well as improving your web browsing experience.

Because different web browsers have different methods of cleaning temporary files and web histories, there is not a stand-alone instruction guide that will work for all web browsers. However, generally you should look on your browser’s toolbar menu for Tools >> Options and in the majority of cases, you will find an option to clear your cache and browsing history.

Now, this list is hardly definitive, but by using the three tips outlined above, chances are you will be able to speed up your computer quite a bit. And, these tips are easy to implement – so regardless of your experience level, you should be able to see a noticeable difference in your PCs speed right away.