Why is My Computer Slow? Speed it Up Today For FREE! By Kelly Purden At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

There are various causes that can make my computer run slow. Unless the problem is due to hardware deficiency or hardware damage, there are solutions in which I would not need to spend a cent.

So WHY IS MY COMPUTER SLOW? It may be that I have too many files, and I need to free up disk space. There is a list of things that are stored in the computer that may be deleted, as they are no longer of any use. Temporary internet files, for example, and downloaded program files like Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets. The use of files like these have already expired, most probably, and there is no point in keeping them stored in the computer. Another is the files in the recycle bin. These are files that I have deleted in the past - they are stored in the recycle bin, in case I'd need them again - but most probably not, so I'd also delete these. I usually permanently delete files I no longer need. When I say permanently deleting files, it means that the files I delete no longer go to the recycle bin and are completely removed from the memory. To do this I simply select the file to be deleted, and then press the delete button while holding down shift. This way I'll never need to do the task of emptying my recycle bin.

I can opt to use the Disk Cleanup instead of manually doing these tasks. How? I simply click on "start" that's found on the lower left portion of the screen. Then I'll point to "All Programs," then to "Accessories," then to "System Tools," and then click on "Disk Cleanup." A window will appear, and there I can select on which files to delete and not to delete, then I simply click "OK." The program will do the rest.

If after this my computer still doesn't speed up, what then? Still, WHY IS MY COMPUTER SLOW? The next thing I'd try is defragmenting. This will speed up the system's access to data. Whenever I install files and delete files, fragmentation occurs, and this can slow the system's response time because the data are scattered and it would take more time for the system to access them. Defragmentation sorts and arranges these data, making the system more efficient and smooth. To defragment, I simply right click on the hard drive in "My Computer," and click "properties." A window will appear, and on its top portion I'll then click on "tools," and then choose "defragment now." This will take rather long, depending on the number of files and their sizes.

Now I've cleaned my computer of useless files, and have defragmented my hard drives. WHY IS MY COMPUTER SLOW, still? Now I'll try detecting and repairing disk errors. Hard drives can develop bad sectors as I use them. Bad sectors can slow down the computer system and can make saving files difficult or slow. How to detect and repair disk errors? The computer can do this - I just need to run the program for this. To run this I simply go to "My Computer" and right click on the hard disk. A window will appear, and on the upper portion, I'll click on "tools," and then click "check now." A window will appear. I'll check the "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" check box, and then press start. The program will then do the rest.

Even after doing all of the above, there are still reasons for a computer to run slow. So, again, WHY IS MY COMPUTER SLOW? Perhaps my PC is infected with spyware. This program can install itself in my computer without my consent, and can give away my private information to third parties - even giving them temporary access to my computer. Furthermore it can hamper my system's performance, slowing it down. Luckily, there are free anti-spyware downloads in the internet. These can solve my problem or not, depending on the severity of the spyware and the integrity of the anti-spyware.

Other than these mentioned there is yet another way of speeding up my computer for free - free computer speed up downloads. They can be found all over the net. I just make sure that I pick a good one. PCSpeedUp or ReadyBoost are some such free computer speed up downloads. Then I'll never again ask, "WHY IS MY COMPUTER SLOW?"

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