How to Fix a Slow PC for Free

Over time, any computer may experience a decline in performance. Typical symptoms include delayed startup times, applet launching and system navigation. This is generally due to multiple applications running simultaneously, data fragmentation, active spyware services and much more. Thankfully, there are multiple ways to fix a slow PC for free within your Windows 7 operating system.

Instructions

Remove Temporary Hard Disk Data

1. Remove optional computer data. As your PC is frequently used, it may gather excessive information from software installations, Internet files and more. In turn, this causes a sluggish performance on your system.

2. Go to the "Start" menu and click the "Computer" option. Right-click your local hard disk and launch the "Properties" menu.

3. Click "Disk Cleanup" to have your system gather all unneeded data from your hard drive. Select all files displayed and click "OK" to have them effectively removed.

Defragment Hard Disk Contents

1. Defragment your hard drive contents. As computer programs and settings are used, Windows Disk Defragmenter re-organizes all available data and system settings so they can be accessed much faster.

2. Go to "Start," click "All Programs," go to "Accessories," followed by "System Tools" and click "Disk Defragmenter."

3. Highlight or select the local hard disk shown on the applet and click "Analyze Disk" to determine how fragmented it is. Press "Defragment Disk" to begin defragmenting. Once finished, close the application through its "File" menu.

Disable Excessive Processes

1. Disable excessive system processes from starting up. Each time your computer is turned on, your operating system also launches certain first-party and third-party programs simultaneously. To fix slow PC problems, restrain some of these optional services from launching automatically.

2. Go to "Start" and type "Msconfig" from the "Search" field. Press "Enter" to launch the System Configuration utility.

3. Go to the "Startup" tab and un-check (disable) any optional applications listed. For example, "Windows Live Messenger" may be needlessly launching along with your operating system. Click "OK" to save all changes and exit the menu at hand.

Perform Spyware Scan

1. Obtain and install an anti-spyware program such as Windows Defender, Spybot Search & Destroy and Malware Bytes. These free applications offer continuous support against spyware, which often install themselves as hidden services to steal user information and present unsolicited advertisements. As such, your computer's overall speed may decline due to unnecessary processing power being consumed.

2. Update the anti-spyware application through its respective feature, which allows for up-to-date threat information and protection on your computer.

3. Perform a full system scan while all other applications are closed to ensure every file is thoroughly and properly inspected.

Tips & Warnings

• Defragment your hard disk and perform a full spyware scan every week to ensure your computer keeps its full performance.

References

• Microsoft: 5 Ways to Speed Up Your PC

Resources

• Microsoft: Windows Defender
• Safer Networking: Spybot Overview
• Malware Bytes: Product Overview