“My computer is slow. Is there anything I can do to speed it up?”
This frustrating reality is common for almost everyone that uses a computer. And although there are cases that viruses could be the culprit, in most cases speed issues can be easily fixed with some simple maintenance and the right tools.
First off, you need to delete temporary files on your system. Empty your recycle bin. Having stuff sitting in your recycle bin does not free up hard drive space until it is emptied. Delete temporary internet files and cookies. All web browser cache needs to be cleaned out every once and a while to maintain good performance.
Secondly, uninstall programs you are not using. Nothing clogs up a computer more than installing a ton of programs that only get used for a short time and then never get uninstalled. These unused programs may even be starting small components at startup that you are not aware of, and this will chew up valuable system resources.
And if all of this is Greek to you and you just want a silver bullet to fix your problems, here are a couple tools I use to clean up computer speed issues. And they are free 😉
TFC: This is my favorite tool for just getting rid of temporary garbage. This program will shutdown every process except for itself and empty all of your temp directories on your computer. This includes folders you may have created called temp so be sure you want those folders empty before running this. Another reason I like this tool is because it can stop certain spyware from running. Some spyware stores itself in temp folders and the only way to delete it is if you can stop the process and delete it. Bingo here is your solution.
Soluto: After I found this gem I cannot have a windows machine without Soluto running on it. The Chop Boot portion of Soluto tells you what processes start up when your computer boots, it tells you how long each process takes to start, and allows you to pause or delay these processes. Soluto even recommends what to do with your processes by telling you what other users are doing to that process on their computers. So if you have a program that you use but you don’t want some unnecessary add-on running at start-up you just stop it from running with this tool. As your computer boots it will do a countdown of starting processes so you will know when your computer is really ready to be used instead of guessing if it is still booting up. Soluto will also allow you to manage web browser plugins, help with system crashes, and allow your geeky friend to administer your install of Soluto remotely even if your system if shutdown. Don’t worry, you still have to allow them to remotely administer your program.
So there you have it. A few tools to help you keep your computer running smoothly. If you have any questions or if there is something you would like me to cover in future posts, just let me know in the comments below.
Craig is a self proclaimed geek with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems. Craig has been working in technology for over 10 years and involved in video games a lot longer than that! He is married to Angela, the blog assistant for Mommy Moment, and together they have 2 children.