How to Make Your Computer Go Faster for Free
A slow-running computer can be a major source of irritation. Just because your computer is running slowly though doesn't mean that it must continue to run that way. Enhancing the speed and performance of your computer doesn't require an upgrade to the system. There are several things that you can do to help your computer run more efficiently. These small repairs should increase the speed of your system at no cost.
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Limit the number of programs that open automatically when your computer boots up. If you notice the slowness of your computer while it is loading, you more than likely have too many programs set to open automatically each time the computer is turned on. These programs, like instant messengers and sidebars, can cause a major slowdown. To stop them from loading, go to "Control Panel" and "Programs." Click "Stop a Program from Running at Startup" or "Change Startup Programs." This will bring up a list of the programs set to automatically start when the system is turned on. Select a program, right-click it and choose "Delete." This will delete the program only from the startup process. When you have deleted all of the programs that you want to prohibit from automatically launching during startup, click "OK." The next time you restart your system, these programs will not open, and your system should load more quickly.
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Clean up your desktop. Program shortcuts on your desktop take up memory and slow your computer down. They also slow down the startup process. If you want to speed up your system, you can delete these shortcuts. Left-click on the shortcut and drag it to the recycle bin. This will only delete the shortcut. The program will still be accessible under the "Start" menu.
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Empty the recycle bin. When you delete a file, shortcut or application from your computer, whether you pressed "Delete" on your keyboard or dragged the item to the recycle bin, this does not permanently delete the file. As long as the item is in the recycle bin, it is still taking up space on your system. You must empty the recycle bin to permanently delete the item. To empty the recycle bin, right-click the "Recycle Bin" icon on your desktop and choose "Empty Recycle Bin" from the list of options that come up.
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Scan your computer for viruses and corrupt or unnecessary files using an antivirus or registry cleaning software. Use your antivirus software, like McAfee or Norton, if you have one installed. Download a free registry-cleaning software, such as Registry Mechanic or RegToy for Windows or MainMenu for Mac systems, if you don't have an antivirus software. These programs all have similar one-button virus scan features. Somewhere on the main page, there will be a "Scan" option. Click this button, the program will scan your system for any viruses or unneeded files. Once the scan is complete, there will be a list of all of the files that are either useless or corrupt. Choose the "Delete all" option to eliminate these files from your system. Getting rid of these bad files should have a positive effect on your computer's speed.
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