Fix A Slow Computer For Free

Calendar September 8, 2010



It can be a real drain on your productivity to work on a slow PC. This article goes through how to fix a slow computer without using commercial tools.

The best fixes are often the simplest. There is rarely one sweeping way to fix a slow computer, it requires several simple changes such as the following to improve PC speeds.

Check that you have 300 to 500 MB of disk space free on your computer's hard drive. The Windows swap file needs at least this amount of space for expansion. Clear out additional space using the Disk Cleanup tool (in accessories / system tools) and by removing unused programs.

Check that your hard drive has not become corrupted using the Scandisk program and run the Windows Defrag tool to reorder data clusters into an optimum order.

Use the Windows Update service to get the latest application, OS and driver files for your computer. Doing this can also fix PC errors as some updates relate to detecting & fixing viruses.

Remove or disable any background programs that are non-essential and which you do not require. Use the Task Manager to identify these programs. Windows 7 users can run Resmon to check the space being used by these programs.

Use the Device Manager tool to check for hardware conflicts (this tool is found in the control panel / system / hardware tab).

Check your PC is not overheating. You can find CPU and fan metrics in the BIOS menu or use free diagnostics tools to check temperatures are not getting too high. Make sure all vents are unblocked.

Finally, if you have less than 1MB of RAM memory then consider upgrading the RAM.

Once you fix a slow computer the first time it is important to keep up some of this maintenance work (e.g. defragmentation, reducing background applications) in order to retain computer speeds.

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