Check your hard disk space.
As a rule, you want to keep at least 15% of the hard disk space free to keep the computer running smoothly. Simply go to
My Computer, right-click on
Local Drive, and go to
Properties.
There you'll see a pie chart of your free versus used space. If it’s
mostly full, you'll want to start by removing unnecessary programs and
files; if it’s not, you probably want to tackle the actual way your
computer operates.
Remove any programs you do not use. Go to
Control Panel >
Add or Remove Programs (or
Uninstall a Program,
depending on your operating system) to find a master list of programs
installed on your computer. Some things will strike you as useless
immediately, in which case you can remove them right away. Others won’t
look familiar to you and may require you some research.
It may help to see how often you use the program. If you right-click
one of the column titles above your program list (ex. Name, Publisher,
Size, Installed On, etc.), you should be able to add additional
characteristics by which to judge your programs. For example, find
Last Used On
on the list of options and check it; a column displaying the last time
you used each program will now appear and can also be used to sort your
programs. Some programs will not have been used in years and may be
candidates for deletion.
Prevent unnecessary programs from starting when the computer boots. The more programs try to run while your computer initializes, the slower everything will be. Revise your startup programs by altering your system configuration via MSConfig.
Install an anti-virus program, spyware scanner, and an anti-malware also Microsoft Security essentials works well.
The fewer bugs, viruses, and bits of adware your computer has to
manage, the more time it will have to devote to other processes. While
you're at it, make a point of keeping Windows up-to-date; not only will
this keep Windows itself in better shape, but some viruses ride in on
Windows updates that are downloaded way after the fact (and therefore
not monitored as closely).
Run a Disk Cleanup. This
can clean up hundreds of megabytes of temporary files – sometimes even
gigabytes (if you have Windows XP, Vista, or 7). It will also open a
window in which you can chose what to delete. Go to
My Computer, right-click the
Hard Drive and select
Properties, and then click
Disc Cleanup (within the General tab). Check all the boxes except for the game files and setup files.
Run a Disk Defragment. This will reconfigure the way the hard drive stores information for maximum efficiency. Go to
My Computer, right-click the
Hard Drive and select
Properties, then go to the
Tools tab and click
Defragment Now.
Check for any disk errors. These will also slow your computer down. Go to
My Computer, right-click the
Hard Drive and select
Properties, then go to the
Tools tab and click
Check Now under the
Error-Checking area. When the dialogue box opens, check both boxes.
- If you get a window saying that Windows can't check the disk while it's in use, click on Schedule Disk Check and then OK. It will run on your next reboot.
Using the tips are at your own risk...
