How to speed up your desktop computer
If your desktop computer is running slowly, here are some things you can do to speed up your computer.
restart your computer
The quickest and easiest way to try to speed up your computer is to restart it. Computer memory (RAM) holds the information currently used, the file you are working with. As you open more files, web pages, and photos, more stuff is in your computer’s memory that can make it harder for the system to find the file you’re looking for. In a sense, the memory fills up and the computer goes back to the storage drive to get the extra files, which takes more time. To clean up your computer’s memory and speed up file recovery, restart your computer by selecting “Restart” or “Shut Down” from the Start menu .
clean your cache
Rebooting your computer will clear the Internet cache, but you can also do it manually. Web browsers often keep a cached copy of pages so that the page opens faster as the computer checks to see if there are any updates to the page. Perhaps there are cookies attached to the page. These are bits of information that give the website information about you, such as what you searched for the last time you visited the page. In your browser, there will be a place to clear your internet history under Options. This will also generally clear cookies but some browsers may have a separate step for this.
Limit startup programs
If your computer is slow to start, check for programs that start automatically. You may not notice how many programs are starting and running in the background. These programs may have been set to start automatically when you purchased your computer. On a Microsoft ® Windows ® computer , press the Ctrl, Alt , and Delete keys at the same time. Select Start Task Manager , open the Processes tab . You will now be able to see the processes that are running. You can close the program from Task Manager or go to the application and set it not to start automatically. Close any unused web browser tabs you have open, even with cached pages, the web browser is checking these pages for updates that will slow down your computer.
Delete the programs you use
When you’re looking for programs that start automatically, look at all your programs. Some come pre-installed on a computer when you buy it, these programs take up space on your storage drive. This includes additional web browser toolbars that may have been installed inadvertently or come pre-installed. On a Windows computer, click the Start button, point to Control Panel , then Programs , click Uninstall a program . Go to the list of programs and select the one you don’t want to keep, then click Uninstall . The system will not allow you to uninstall the programs you need to get your computer running. Uninstall any web browser toolbars that you are not using. Although not as common anymore, web browser toolbars can be a form of bloatware that can slow down web browsing.
Delete temporary files
A temporary file may be installed each time you visit a site on the Internet. These temporary files can take up your storage drive and cause it to run slower as you select the files. To clear temporary files on a Windows computer:
- Click the Startmenu or Windows button.
- Select Teamor My Team .
- Click the small arrow to expand the files to a local drive, usually C:.
- Expand the Windowsfolder .
- Select the Temporaryfolder .
- Select the first file in the list, hold down the Shift key, and then select the last file with yesterday’s date.
- All files before today will be highlighted. Press the Delete key to delete the files.
install more memory
If these steps above didn’t help you speed up your computer, you may need to look at your computer’s memory. Computers are sometimes sold with a minimal amount of RAM to run the system. Installing more memory can speed up your computer. You can also use the Crucial ® Advisor ™ tool or System Scanner tool to quickly determine which memory modules are compatible with your system.
Keep your software up to date
It is important to keep your software up to date. Software companies are constantly updating their programs to make them faster, more efficient, and reduce malware vulnerabilities. The best method is to allow automatic updates as much as possible. On a Windows computer, Windows 10 is one of the easiest operating systems to upgrade to. It is preconfigured to install Windows updates automatically and updates for some programs. You can also manually check for updates by clicking the Windows button, selecting Control Panel , System and Security , then Windows Update . Select Check for updates to make sure there are no additional updates.
