Is your PC running slow?
Here are three simple and efficient steps for optimizing your PC system at no cost – just a few ticks and clicks here and there. They won’t do miracles, but in my case they proved to be the best and easiest steps in making my computer run faster.
1. Remove all unnecessary startup programs.
Every time you switch on your computer and start up your OS, a whole bunch of programs start running as well. I found out that not all of them are necessary and they usually take up part of your computer resources, which, in turn, slows down the system. The solution is quite simple, yet effective – remove programs that you don’t need from Windows OS startup menu. If you’re scared of shutting down important and necessary applications, don’t worry, as they can always be restarted. Here’s what you need to do:
Press Start menu, and then select Run;
Write: “msconfig” (without quotes);
Press Enter or OK with the mouse;
System Configuration Utility window will pop up;
Click on the startup tab from the menu.
You will see a list of programs that start up along with Microsoft Windows. Uncheck those you don’t want to run when your computer is turned on.
After you have unchecked all the unnecessary services, press OK, Windows will ask, if you want to reboot now or later. Press OK to restart your computer and you will see results.
2. Scan for and delete all malicious programs and viruses (spyware, adware, malware)
Have you scanned your computer for the newest online threats, like the ones mentioned above? No? I suggest doing that as soon as possible, because computer is likely to be infected with these pests. Most of them might carry a parasite – like behavior, taking up nothing more, but your computer memory and space. While running in a background and gathering your browsing habits, they still are not very welcome, because of the negative impact on the speed of a system. If your computer starts up noticeably slowly and advertisement windows pop up every 5 minutes, it is likely that you are infected with those.
There are much more aggressive and dangerous viruses and malware programs, which may damage your whole system, steal personal sensitive data and make your computer a gateway for further internet attacks. These are more difficult to detect, but it’s considerably easy with the right tools in use. I suggest using Antivirus and antispyware tools like “Malware Bytes”, “Spybot Search and Destroy” or “Super Antispyware”. All are free of charge and produce excellent results.
3. Change your windows visual settings
Press “Start”;
Then select “Control Panel”;
Click on the “System” icon;
Choose “Advanced”;
Select “Performance” and “Settings”;
Select “Adjust for best performance”, but leave the ticks on the following settings:
Show shadows under menus
Show shadows under mouse pointer
Show translucent selection rectangle
Use visual styles on windows and buttons
Press Apply and OK.
Now your windows will be optimized for better performance at the cost of a bit of appearance quality settings.
Image: Based on photos by DBduo Photography & tamburix. Available for reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
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