Information about a Slow Running Computer
can help

It happens to the best of us. One day your Windows-based PC just seems to be taking far longer than usual to open applications and save files on your hard drive. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why your computer could be running slowly, but here are some easy steps you can take to try and figure out what is causing the slow down and how to fix it before calling your techie friends for assistance.

The first thing you should do is to save any open files and quit any applications that are running. Try rebooting your computer to see if that is a quick fix — there really are a lot of users out there who leave their systems running as close to 24/7 as they can, and this could lead to your system slowing down. 

Make sure your Windows operating system and virus scanner are both up-to-date. To check this from Internet Explorer, click Tools along the top menu, then select Windows Update. Most anti-virus programs will also have an auto-updater or an update-on-demand function that will enable you to download and install the most recent updates for the software.

You should also consider any recent changes that have been made to your system immediately before you noticed the slow down issues starting. This includes things such as new hardware or software being installed. For software, double check that your computer system, including hard drive space, memory , video requirements, operating system and so on, meet the software manufacturer's minimum system requirements. Minimum System requirements can be found on the side or back of the box the software came in (or a sticker on the CD/DVD jewel case). If you find a problem here, uninstall the culprit software, reboot the computer and see if this solves the slowness problem.

For newly added hardware (such as a printer, scanner or other device), the easiest way to check and see if it is the cause is to simply remove the device. Reboot the system and check your system performance without the device installed. You should also check on the manufacturer's Web site to see if they have released newer drivers than what you are using.

If you haven't made any recent system changes and a reboot doesn't do the trick, you can also verify that your system simply isn't running out of resources. Make sure that your hard disk hasn't filled up without you noticing, and that your system has adequate video and system memory (RAM) resources for the tasks you are trying to do. This is probably a good time to do some basic Windows maintenance tasks, such as cleaning out temporary files, defragging your hard drive, and also uninstalling unused programs.

Dazed and Confused!

You have come to the right place.  We offer advice and 20 tips on how to get your computer up and running like new (or at least close). 

21 Tips and Secrets with time tested strategy

1.

Share |

'Like' or '+1' pcwreck.com so that you (and your friends) can find your way back between steps, and every few months to maintain your PC speed.

2. Backup Save ALL your Documents, pictures, term papers, music, financial data, email, bookmarks, etc. You should always have and maintain backups.

       Recommended Fix: Backup Important Data

Every year, 43 percent of computer users lose irreplaceable data - PC Magazine

 

3. Dust in the machine. After hundreds of hours of sifting through household air, the computer literally accumulates dust in the fans and heat-sink. This problem especially affects laptops.

    Recommended Fix: Blow away the Dust

If your fans are clogged with dust, nothing else will speed up your PC.

4. Low Memory. Having enough memory can make the difference in speed. Eg., Windows XP runs very well with 2Gig or more, and well enough for most people with 1G, but a PC runs slower with less. Vista needs more. Adding memory can be the least expensive and yet one of the most significant ways to speed up computer.

    

Recommended Fix: Check your memory

Crucial Memory Advisor™ Tool In 3 easy steps... find the right memory for your computer or motherboard. GUARANTEED! Select your manufacturer ABIT Acer Advent Apple ASUS Compaq Dell eMachines Fujitsu-Siemens Giga-Byte HP - Compaq IBM Intel Medion MSI (Micro Star) Packard Bell Sony Toshiba More Manufacturers

Little else can be done for a system that has too little RAM.

“More memory: It's the quickest, easiest, cheapest upgrade.” -PC MAGAZINE

5. Priority Updates. Make sure Windows is up-to-date: Our first line of defense against threats. We recommend using automatic updates.

     Recommended Fix: Windows Update

6. Spies are watching. Spyware is a small program which records information about your internet activity and relays it back to thieves. Spyware will impede PC performance. A decrease in performance could indicate a malware infection.

     Recommended Fix:: Remove Spyware and other Malware

“If your PC is slower than normal ..., you may have spyware.” - MICROSOFT

“Malware is the #1 cause of Slow Computer Syndrome.”

7. Registry repair. Your registry is like a directory of all the programs you have on your system. This too can become disorganized and cause your hardware to run slowly. Speed up PC with a registry cleaner.

     Recommended Fix: Clean and repair Registry

PC Tools Registry Mechanic 2012 Type: System Optimization Operating Systems Supported: Windows Packaging: Retail

“Cleaning out unnecessary Registry keys can boost performance.” - MICROSOFT

8. Tame Security Suites Internet Security is an absolute necessity. Here are some ways to minimize their impact upon our system resources.

     Recommended Fix:

Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 delivers premium protection from viruses, Trojans, spam, hackers, and more. Its cutting-edge, hybrid approach to digital security combines innovative, cloud-based technologies with advanced antivirus protection to deliver a faster, more effective response to today’s complex, ever-evolving threats. You, your private data and PC are completely protected as you work, bank, shop and play online

 

Kaspersky Internet Security 2012

9. System breach. If you don't already have a firewall or don't think you need one you may want to review this step. Your computer could be sending and receiving unauthorized data. Do not be a spammer's zombie!

     Recommended Fix: Use Firewall Protection

10. Data Recovery. NextBreed Data Recovery is an advanced data recovery tool. It can recover lost data of all types, including Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, audio, video, and outlook email files, etc. Data can easily be recovered from NTFS, FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32 file systems. In addition, it can not only make hard drive data recovery or disk data recovery easy, but also recovery of lost or deleted files from USB, memory card, memory stick, camera card, etc.

     Recommended Fix: Recover your lost data

11. Wasted space. Remove temporary and unnecessary files from your hard drive. Freeing up operating space can speed up your PC.

     Recommended Fix: PC Tools Performance Toolkit

12. File fragmentation. Over time, the data on your hard drive get broken into pieces, making them harder to retrieve and update. Result: Everything take longer to retrieve and save.

     Recommended Fix: Run Disk Defragmenter 

13. Disk Errors. Your PC spends much time reading and writing data to the hard drives. Low performance can be caused by badly arranged or erroneous data on your hard disk.

     Recommended Fix: Run Check Disk

14. System Recovery. If your laptop or desktop seems beyond all help, but is only a few years old, you have another option ... restore computer to factory condition.

     Recommended Fix: Complete System restore

15. Increase Performance  Make your computer cleaner, more responsive and most importantly, faster. Privacy tools erase your browser and search history, while recovery tools restore your lost photos, music, and other documents. Bring back that new PC feeling.

     Recommended Fix: Increase Performance

16. Device Drivers. Manufacturers of peripheral devices will issue driver updates which can enhance the function and performance of your system.

     Recommended Fix: Update Device Drivers

17. Windows indexing service. The indexing service helps Windows OS find information faster. But if you are like most, it uses more resources than it is worth.

     Recommended Fix: Turn off indexing Unfortunately since there are so many Operating Systems and Browsers the best thing to do is go to a search engine and type in "Turn off indexing" and provide your computer's information.  If you need help just email me at help@pcwreck.com

“Windows ... may run slowly.” (due to indexing service) -Microsoft

18. Eye candy. Some of the graphical options set by default are unnecessary. Speed up computer by turning off some of the glitter. Also extends battery charge on laptops.

     Recommended Fix: Turn off video options

19. More advanced problem. If you're still asking, 'Why is my computer so slow?' after applying the above solutions, you may need to seek more advanced help.

     Recommended Fix:Get more help   Fight Spam, Viruses and Spyware. Geek Squad® Agents Available 24/7/365.

20. System Recovery. If your laptop or desktop seems beyond all help, but is only a few years old, you have another option ... restore computer to factory condition.

     Recommended Fix: Complete System Restore

20. New Computer. If the old PC is just beyond help, here is a simple guide to your next purchase.

     Recommended Fix: Computer buyers guideToshiba - 17.3" Satellite Laptop - 4GB Memory - 500GB Hard Drive - Black.

 

     Free Shipping on Select Tablets.

Help us help others Speed up their PC

We HATE malware. I would love to exterminate it all. But, for now, we do what we can.

The World Wide Web IS made up of interconnected computers. And, the healthier each PC is, the healthier the internet as a whole.

Know anyone who has complained: "Why is my computer slow?" Please help friends and colleagues find us and clean up their computers. Each time you do this, you strike a blow against the 'hackers'!

Home   Anti-Virus   Firewall   Memory   Spyware   Registry   Backup

 © 2012 PCWreck.com.
pcwreck.com® a division of JRI Publishing, LLC  All rights reserved
LEGAL CONDITIONS AND TERMS OF USE APPLICABLE TO ALL USERS OF THIS SITE. ANY USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES YOUR AGREEMENT TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

 

HTML Comment Box is loading comments...