Three Tips To Improve Your Computer’s Performance

It’s unbelievably frustrating when your computer runs slowly. This previous post outlines possible reasons for a decrease in performance. But what do you to speed your computer up again? Kristin Dunleavy of the BullGuard blog recently published some tips. To really improve the speed of your machine, adding hardware is always an option but these tips show you how to maximize the potential of your existing computer.

• Delete Temporary Files

Every website you visit and every click you make can add to the amount of temporary files being stored on your hard drive. The more data being stored there, the slower your computer is going to be. Deleting old temporary files won’t affect any other programs so it’s an easy place to clear storage space. To do so, go to the ‘Temp’ folder, which for Windows users can be found in the ‘Windows’ folder. From there, you’re free to delete any file that is older than a day without worry.

• Uninstall Old Programs

Once you’ve had your computer for a couple of years, it’s likely that you have some applications installed that you don’t use anymore. These programs may be slowing down your computer every time it starts if the application loads automatically. Even if it doesn’t, it’s taking up valuable hard drive space. To remove old programs for Windows users, go to ‘Control Panel’ then select ‘Programs and Features’ and scroll through the list of applications until you find what you want to uninstall. This is a good idea to do regularly even if you don’t have a specific program in mind. It allows you to keep track of what’s installed and remove anything you don’t recognize or haven’t used in awhile.

• Update Software

It’s advisable to keep all software updated because many updates patch security issues. Some updates are geared towards improved performance and compatibility, however. Using an outdated version of an application could be the reason your computer runs slower or crashes. If you notice a decrease in performance, be sure to update and see if that helps.

If these tips don’t help, and you aren’t ready to buy a new computer, you could consider adding disk space. If your hard drive is more than 85-percent filled, it will significantly impact performance. External storage is a cheap way to move some of the larger files from your hard drive.

If you’re having trouble with any of your devices, from performance issues, to broken hardware, call Geek Rescue at 918-36-4335.