- Less errors + crashes
- 1-click repairs + backups
Tom M., Utah, USA
Believe it or not, even if your computer has been around the block a few times, it doesn’t have to be slow. Equipment does deteriorate over time, but until your PC goes completely kaput, its core functionality should stay more or less the same as the day you bought it. What slows PCs down is an overload of broken files, unused programs, and memory-draining processes, all of which can be eliminated. So whether you want to boost a new PC or make an old PC faster, here are the issues I fix when I want to make my PC faster.
How Do I Make My PC Faster?
Clear out the junk: Are there programs on your PC that you will never use? Get rid of them in Windows Add or Remove Programs wizard in the control panel.
The built-in Windows program remover tends to leave traces or programs behind, so you may want to look into finding a well-regarded third-party uninstaller to clear out all unneeded files, folders, and registry entries.
Clean the disk: Windows has a couple of built-in utilities to help make your Windows PC faster. There’s Disk Cleanup, which combines a bunch of routine cleaning tasks into a single, handy little menu. And there’s Disk Defragmenter, which consolidates fragmented files and makes your disk more organized, helping programs execute more quickly.
Upgrade your OS: If your computer is not a dinosaur (that is, if it’s less than five years old) and you’re still running XP or Vista, you’re behind the times. Windows 7 made tons of significant improvements over its predecessors. Not only is it prettier, but it’s also just plain faster. You don’t need one of the latest machines to run it. In fact, it’s actually a little bit lighter than Vista. But you can make an XP or Vista PC faster. Whatever OS you use, make sure you allow Windows to make its automatic updates. They can be annoying when they pop up out of nowhere and make you restart your computer, but they actually do improve your system.
Remove badware: If you haven’t been running an up-to-date, reliable antispyware program, you might be astonished by all the bad stuff lurking in your PC’s dark corners. That stuff compromises your security, but it also interferes with your computer’s functioning. I speed up my PC with Spyware Doctor, but use whichever program works for you.
Clear temporary internet files: Finally, since most of us spend a great deal of our computer time surfing the web, it’s important to keep your browser running fast. We won’t get into the whole IE vs. Firefox vs. Chrome vs. Safari thing here, because all the latest versions are pretty fast. But whichever browser you use, be sure to clear all your temporary internet files regularly. This includes browsing history, download history, cookies, and cache. Don’t worry about the saved passwords, because they don’t take up much space.
Because emptying your PC’s cache is such an important way to make your computer faster, better registry repair software will do it for you. download PC Health Advisor — which, I’ll admit, is one of my fav — helps you empty your PC’s cache, uninstall old programs, cleans your registry, removes malware, defragments the disk, all while offering one-click repairs and backups. If you try PC Health Advisor — and I recommend it — , click here to download PC Health Advisor.
