How to Speed Up a Slow Computer
Hardware, BIOS & System Settings, Antivirus, Remote Tune Up
Oct 10, 2009
A computer cannot be too fast. It can, unfortunately, be too slow. How about speeding up your slow Windows PC?
There may be a great number of possible reasons of computer’s low productivity. Consequently, there are many different methods to speed up a slowly operating PC. Different problems require different treatment. However, the solutions exist!
Here are the 5 ways to speed up a slow computer.
A PC May Work Slowly Due to Hardware Problems
- It’s possible that your computer works slowly due to the problems with hardware. In such a case some pieces of hardware should be upgraded or replaced.
- Make sure you have the latest version of your hardware drivers installed. If it’s not so, update current ones.
- In most cases helps adding operational memory, because RAM is usually the bottleneck of the system. So, additional memory is sure to make your PC work faster.
- Another option is an additional hard drive in RAID 0 cluster – it will speed up data exchange. Most motherboards of medium and high class support RAID 0 clusters. If your motherboard doesn’t, you may install a PCI RAID controller.
Adjust BIOS Settings to Speed up the Computer
Initial settings of the hardware, and BIOS settings in particular, greatly influence the system’s speed and efficiency. As a rule, you can get into BIOS having presses Del (sometimes F1, F8, F10, Tab) right after the computer has been turned on. BIOS settings may significantly improve the effectiveness of the system. However, poorly adjusted settings may deteriorate computer’s performance, and even make the system unable to boot.
Therefore, before making changes to BIOS settings, attentively read your motherboard manual for recommendations.
Adjust System Settings of a Slow Computer
- Windows settings themselves also significantly influence the speed of computer’s work. It is recommended to install the latest updates for your OS.
- It also makes sense to disable unneeded services (in Windows XP go to Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services).
- Check for free disk space on the system drive and, if possible, free this drive form unnecessary files, such as Temporary Internet Files, *tmp files in the Temp directory, and Recycle Bin files.
- Defragment the drive in order to speed up the drive operations.
- Adjust high-performance graphics interface. It may even make sense to disable all the graphical effects and stop using Aero in Windows Vista, and themes in Windows XP. In Windows XP graphic effects are adjusted in Desktop Properties/Appearance/Effects, and System Properties/Advanced/Performance – Settings/Visual Effects.
Remove Viruses and Disable Unused Applications
- Viruses negatively influence your system’s efficiency. You should have an antivirus with fresh antivirus databases.
- By means of msconfig.exe utility (go to Start menu, click Run, type msconfig, choose Startup) check which applications are loaded when the PC is turned on. Disable unneeded or rarely used applications of the startup list.
Use Remote Tune-Up Service to Fix a Slow PC
If all of the above options don’t help, or seem to complex, consider using the service of companies specializing in remote computer tune-up. Among the advantages of such a choice is the fact that your computer’s efficiency is being optimized by professionals who are sure about what they are doing, know what and how to improve, and guarantee the results.
You can, of course, invite a computer technician to visit you in person. However, many companies provide this service remotely, and can be found online easily and fast. A remote online consultation may save time.
To speed up your slow Windows computer check hardware, make sure you have all the latest hardware drivers installed, check BIOS and system settings, install antivirus software, and remove applications you don’t need and don’t use. If the above options don’t help, consider inviting a computer technician or using the service of remote PC tune-up companies.
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