As long as you use your computer, your computer performance will slowly decrease because of the changes done in the system. There are some ways to keep your computer performance good.
1. Make Sure Hardware is Sufficient
Above and beyond everything you can do to optimize the function of your computer is to make sure that you have the proper hardware to support your Operating System and other software.
2. Clean Your Desktop
Never keep to many files or shortcuts on your desktop because it will reduce your computer performance.
3. Scan System for Errors
An operating system is a collection of files that perform different functions. It is possible, over time, that one or more of these system files has changed or become corrupted. If this happens, the speed of your system may decrease. By using a utility called “System File Checking”, it will inspect these files and correct any problem it finds.
4. Scan for Viruses, Spyware and Adware
Every computer is vulnerable to viruses and viruses can cause both major and minor problems for users.
Spyware and adware are programs created by companies to find out more information about customers, so they can better market products to them. Spyware and adware can load into computer memory and slow it down.
Periodically scanning and removal of viruses, spyware and adware is a great way to improve computer performance.
5. Uninstall Unused Programs
When a program is installed, it creates connections between the program and the operating system. Removing unused programs will free up space on your computer and may speed up your system's performance.
6. Adjust Visual Effects for Better Performance
Visual effects including animated windows and fading menus can slow down your computer processing speed. If you do not have enough operating memory, these effects can slow down your computer. Adjusting or reducing visual effects can make a difference.
7. Don’t Automatically Start Programs
Programs use operating memory. Unless you always use these programs, you can keep them from loading at startup and speed both the booting of your computer and its performance.
8. Defragment Your Hard Drive Regularly
The more information and programs you have on your computer, the more it is likely that Windows has placed parts of the same file in different locations on your hard drive. It may do this for hundreds of files and programs, depending on how much space is available. By defragmenting your drive, you computer performance will be back to normal.
9. Reinstall the Operating System and Programs
If you have done all the above steps and your computer does not become more responsive, you might consider reinstalling the operating system and programs. This is a scorched earth option - basically you backup all your data and user settings, wipe your hard drive clean and re-install the operating system with your original disks. Next, install all your favorite programs and restore all your data and user settings.
The nice thing about doing this is that you essentially have a new computer, free of years worth of software and registry changes, additions and errors that can turn a fast rabbit of a Windows computer into a slow turtle. The bad thing about this choice is that it takes time and planning to do it correctly. If your PC is 3 to 4 years old and continues to run slower than it did when you purchased it, this might be the only action that will make a significant difference.
