With the growing pace of technological advancements today, people tend to take their old computers for granted and just replace them with a new set every year. In reality, the performance of a computer depends on how it is used and not its age. Its speed remains the same from the day you purchased it until the day you throw it out. Here are some things you can do to get the most out of your computer even in its advanced age.
1. SCAN FOR MALICIOUS CONTENT
There are tons of spyware and adware lurking in cyberspace, waiting for you to click them. These applications penetrate your computer without your consent and come with annoying pop-up advertisements. To address these malicious items, many software companies have developed tools to remove them from your PC.
Scanning your computer for spyware, adware and viruses, lowers its chances of crashing or getting destroyed. By using reliable antivirus software, you get rid of Trojans, worms and other harmful content in your computer. An effective program removes recurring viruses, adware and spyware permanently. Since there are plenty of reliable applications like AVG and Avast! available for download, there is no reason why you couldn’t equip your PC with one.
2. DEFRAGMENT HARD DISK
When you use your computer for the very first time, it runs smoothly because the hard disk is still new and fresh. Once you install applications and download files, data is written in a single contiguous block. When you uninstall or delete them, that one huge block gets filled with empty areas. The subsequent data you save in your PC gets broken up and fills the gaps on the hard disk. As a result, the computer takes a longer time to read those files because it has to go from one location to another to access the data.
defragmenting in progress
By defragging your hard drive, all those separated files are joined back together as one so the CPU can access them faster. At the same time, running the Defrag program combines all the empty spots on the hard drive into one block of free space. Ideally, you should defrag your computer at least once a month. Make sure that no other program is running while using the Defrag tool because the process takes several hours to complete and slows down your computer significantly.
3. MODIFY STARTUP PROGRAMS
Don’t you just hate it when it takes forever to start up your computer? If you have plenty of programs waiting to be loaded, it can take ages before your computer becomes ready for use. Disable those “useless” taskbar icons since they consume disk space and slow your computer down.
Major software companies develop their products so they immediately load up into your computer’s memory ready for use. This isn’t a problem for programs that you frequently utilize like an antivirus or online messenger; however, applications that are rarely used should just be disabled through the System Configuration window.
Disabling some occasionally-used programs will not harm your computer. Instead, it will boost the speed of your computer and greatly reduce its startup time. Just access those applications the old way through the Programs menu.
4. DELETE UNNECESSARY FILES
disk clean up
Perhaps the most effective way to improve the speed of your PC is by deleting files that no longer need to be in your hard drive. This includes uninstalling outdated applications and permanently deleting files that you won’t need for the rest of your life. If you think you may need those files in the future but need the extra disk space now, just write them on a CD, DVD or external hard drive.
Storing files in the Recycle Bin won’t free up space in your hard disk. You may opt to use the Disk Cleanup System Tool of your PC to get rid of those unwanted items permanently. Additionally, you should erase temporary Internet files if you go online frequently. There are also programs like CCleaner that expunges cookies, deleted files, application histories and computer registry in just one click. You may be surprised to find out how much space you’ve recovered after deleting all those needless files.
5. DISABLE VISUAL EFFECTS
Effects perk up your computer’s aesthetics, but not its performance. The latest operating systems always have new sets of aesthetic upgrades for your PC; however, these innovations aren’t too welcome on computers that run on old graphic cards, CPU processors and memory cards.
Disabling the visual effects of your operating system will get rid of all the fancy buttons, sliding menus, shadows and glossy icons, among others. At the same time, it also boosts the speed and performance of your desktop.
Simply uncheck all the boxes at the Performance Options window to eliminate all graphics card intensive add-ons. If your PC can handle the load or if you prefer a visual feast, then you may even take it one step further and download desktop themes from the Internet.
Unfortunately, the constantly evolving computer industry has made many technologies obsolete, even though many of them are still useable and reliable. If you are under a tight budget, these five steps will make your computer almost as fast as when you first bought it.
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