5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Computer Speed & Help Your Computer Run More Efficiently!

If you're a computer expert, you'll probably already know about these tips (hopefully this will provide you with a little reminder). If you're not an expert, don't worry - these tips are simple, and don't require a lot of computer experience.

While an old computer will never operate at the same speed as a newer (and bigger & faster) computer, you can help your computer stay as "young & healthy" as possible.

1) Disk Cleanup

Performing a disk cleanup regularly is a good idea. Whenever you "surf the internet", open attachments, delete files, your computer saves a record of your activity. Many of these files are harmless, and individually are very small. But if you spend a lot of time on your computer, before long you'll take up enough space to slow your computer down a bit.

Disk Cleanup is a Windows utility that helps keep unused and unwanted files from taking up extra storage space on your computer. You can think of it as "spring cleaning" for your computer.

Basically, it removes files that may have once been useful or used but now are just taking up extra room that could be used for more useful programs and files.

To perform a disc cleanup, click on the Start button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disc Cleanup. A small box will pop up, allowing you to select the files to delete (most files are OK to delete, but if you are unsure, it is best to not select the file). Then click OK, and the unused files will be removed.

If you've never done a disk cleanup on your computer, now is a good time to get started. Then, depending on how much you use your computer, you can perform a disk cleanup every few weeks to keep your computer running smoothly!

2) Defragmenting Your Computer

Another way to improve the performance of your computer is to defragment your hard drive. What is defragmenting, and why do you need to do it? Here's a simple explanation:

Basically, defragmenting is putting files back where they belong. With the files in the proper order, your computer will run more efficiently.

You don't need to hire a computer expert to defragment your computer. It's simple to do. You just need to plan ahead, because if you have a lot of "stuff" on your computer, it could take a while.

And it's best not to use your computer while defragmenting.

Not sure how to defragment your computer? You can either click on your computer's help file (Click the "Start" button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Help), or click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Defragment - for most computers) .

Keep in mind that the actual wording is slightly different depending on the operating system you use (Windows 95, 98, XP, etc) so you might need to refer to your computer's help file.

Periodically defragmenting your computer will keep it running smoothly!

3) Removing Spyware & Adware

If you've ever had spyware or adware on your computer, you know how frustrating it can be - strange things happening, your homepage changing, inappropriate popups, unfamiliar icons... What exactly is spyware or adware?

Simply, files that are often downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge (or at least without you knowing what they really are).

Unfortunately, many of these programs "sneak" their way onto your computer, so avoiding them entirely is difficult, especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer, surfing the Internet and downloading new programs and files.

Fortunately, there are ways to remove these unwanted files from your computer.

Here are 2 adware/spyware removal programs that are simple to use (and both are free): Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/
Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Why does adware/spyware continue to be such a problem? Because most of these programs make money for the people creating and spreading them, unfortunately. So, all we can do is try to avoid them as much as possible, and to remove them when they do find their way onto our computers.

If you do find spyware on your computer, don't panic. In many cases, you just have some extra "junk" on your computer. But keeping spywaer and adware off of your computer will help it run more quickly and efficiently.

4) Uninstalling Old & Unused Programs

While uninstalling old, unused programs will help speed up your computer, removing the wrong files can cause you some big problems. So, please proceed carefully. And if you are not comfortable, please ask for help from someone you know who is more knowledgeable.

Most programs that you download simply have an "uninstall" feature that comes with them. If you're like me and you download a lot of free programs or free trials, after a while your computer begins to slow down. That means it's time for me to remove some of the old programs I don't use any more (and most I only used once just to see how they work).

To uninstall unused programs from your computer, first click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Programs, then click on the name of the program and Uninstall. If there is no uninstall option, then click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.

Again, if you are unsure whether or not to remove a program, it is best to leave it.

If you follow these instructions, you should find your computer working faster right away.

5) Get A High Speed Internet Connection

If you spend a lot of time on the internet, a high speed internet connection is a must. It is more expensive, but for most people the savings in time and effort is worth the added expense.

There are several advantages of having a high speed internet connection - faster surfing, web pages open more quickly, files download faster, and if you send or receive large files, like pictures or video, trying to open these files with a slower dialup connection is extremely frustrating!

If you're already spending $20 a month or more for your dialup connection (through your phone line) then you'll find DSL to be comparable in price, and a lot faster.

A cable internet connection might cost a little more, but it is usually the fastest type of internet connection you can get from home.

High speed wireless connections are available for those who travel a lot. And high speed satellite internet is available in areas where other options are not (check your options first, as this is the most expensive high speed connection).

That's all the tips for increasing your computer speed and helping your computer run more efficiently. We hope you found these tips helpful!

Kris Bickell is the owner of Hi-Speed-Internet.com, a helpful site for consumers comparing high speed internet services. For information on high speed DSL, Cable, and Wireless Internet, visit: http://www.Hi-Speed-Internet.com, and sign up for the free email course "5 Simple Ways To Increase Your Computer Speed". � 2005 Hi-Speed-Internet.com

04/28/2024 The Best Binoculars to Zoom In on Real Life Whether you’re bird-watching or baseball-spotting, we break down prices and specs to find the best pair for you. more info

04/28/2024 The Best Sleeping Bags for Every Adventure Whether you’re climbing peaks or taking the family to the local park, we’ve found the best sleeping bags for every temperature, budget, and camping expedition. more info

04/28/2024 Our Favorite Digital Notebooks and Smart Pens These nifty tools combine the ease of jotting notes by hand with the power of saving them digitally. more info

04/28/2024 The Best Password Managers to Secure Your Digital Life Keep your logins locked down with our favorite password management apps for PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, and web browsers. more info

04/28/2024 How to Get Free Kindle Books With Your Library Card All you need is an internet connection, a library card, and a good ebook reader to dive into your next page-turner. more info

04/28/2024 I Tried These AI-Based Productivity Tools. Here’s What Happened Hoping to make life easier, I tested six AI-powered tools meant to help me write better and work smarter. more info

04/28/2024 The Mysterious ‘Dark’ Energy That Permeates the Universe Is Slowly Eroding Physicists call the dark energy that drives the universe “the cosmological constant.” Now the largest map of the cosmos to date hints that this mysterious energy has been changing over billions of years. more info

04/27/2024 The Best Sleeping Pads for Camping, Backpacking, and Travel Whether you’re snoozing in a campground or schlepping up to an alpine valley, these are the best pads we’ve found for resting your weary bones. more info

04/27/2024 The Best Robot Vacuums to Keep Your Home Clean Whether you’re up against pet hair or you want to splurge on a high-end laser-guided robot vacuum, we have the perfect pick for you. more info

04/27/2024 Get the Most Out of Your iPad With These Accessories These are some of our favorite stands, cases, keyboards, and styli, no matter which Apple tablet you have. more info

04/27/2024 7 Spring Albums That You Don’t Need to Fight About Online New music from Maggie Rogers, Tyla, Brittany Howard, and SchoolBoy Q showcase distinct artistic evolutions. more info

04/27/2024 Autocomplete Interview Autocomplete Interview - Is Ice Cube a nice guy? Do astronauts really drink their own pee? Does Gerard Butler still surf? The internet searches for answers and WIRED goes right to the source for the answer. more info

04/27/2024 Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Shades Get a Fresh Blast of AI Plus: Leaked details tell us more about the new Google Pixel 8A, Freitag’s environmentally conscious bag is entirely recyclable, and it’s time to unpack a whole bunch of tech acronyms. more info

04/27/2024 1 in 3 Americans Live in Areas With Dangerous Air Pollution Climate change is increasing the number of days people are exposed to hazardous pollution, affecting already disadvantaged communities the most. more info

04/27/2024 School Employee Allegedly Framed a Principal With Racist Deepfake Rant This week in cybersecurity news: Google holds off on killing cookies, Samourai Wallet founders get arrested, GM stops its driver surveillance program, and a school principal's racist rant is revealed to be a deepfake. more info

04/27/2024 Russia Vetoed a UN Resolution to Ban Space Nukes A ban on weapons of mass destruction in orbit has stood since 1967. Russia apparently has other ideas. more info

04/26/2024 Roborock’s Robot Vacuums—Including WIRED’s Top Pick—Are on Sale Right Now More like Robot Rock, am I right? (Sorry.) These are some of the best dust busters around, and they’re cheaper than usual. more info

04/26/2024 Tesla Autopilot Was Uniquely Risky—and May Still Be In an investigative report into crashes and deaths associated with Tesla Autopilot, federal regulators concluded that the system lacked standard protections. more info

04/26/2024 The 33 Best Shows on Amazon Prime Right Now From "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" to "Fallout," these are our picks for what you should be watching on the streamer. more info

04/26/2024 The 17 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now From "Road House" to "Bottoms," these are the must-watch films on the streamer. more info

04/26/2024 Decades of Garry’s Mod Nintendo Uploads Are Disappearing Nintendo is once again flexing its copyright muscles by filing takedown requests for user-generated content on the popular game platform. more info

04/26/2024 The Best Lubes for Every Occasion For the most sensitive parts of the human body, friction is the enemy. Here’s how to keep it at bay. more info

04/26/2024 Which Govee Smart Lighting Kit Should You Buy? Govee makes some of the best affordable smart lights, but its enormous range can be overwhelming and confusing. Here’s how to choose the right fit for your home. more info

04/26/2024 The Best USB-C Cables for Your Phone, Tablet, or Laptop Unravel the tangled world of cords and find the ones you need to charge your gadgets and transfer data. more info

04/26/2024 The Best Car Phone Mounts and Chargers These mobile accessories will make your smartphone a better—and safer—road trip companion. more info