5 Ways to Speed Up Your PC

No matter how fast your processor and regardless of how much ram you carry, there comes a time when you realize your computer just doesn't run as fast as it did when you bought it.

Windows loads slower, programs take longer to launch, and, in general, your computer drags like it just came off a 2-night drinking binge.

If this sounds like your situation, these 5 tips should help you get some extra speed from your PC.

~ Disk Cleanup Utility ~

You may not realize it, but just because you finish with a file doesn't mean your computer does.

In many cases, if your computer's hard drive were a garage, you would have unused junk files piled 20 feet high and spilling out into the street.

Everyone should use the Windows "Disk Cleanup Utility" to delete old, unused, and temporary files that clog your hard drive.

Click Start, point at All Programs (or Programs), Accessories, System Tools, and click Disk Cleanup. Analyze your hard drive for files you can eliminate and it may shock you to see how much hard drive space (and speed) you can free up with a few clicks.

~ "Defrag" ~

Imagine a properly maintained hard drive as room the size of Wal-Mart filled with filing cabinets.

Now imagine ripping open every drawer of every filing cabinet, slinging the contents onto the floor and trying to find one document -that's a fragmented hard drive.

Sometimes lack of speed simply results from your computer working too hard to find the files it needs.

You can solve this problem by "defragging" your hard drive.

Click Start, point to All Programs (or Programs), Accessories, System Tools, and click Disk Defragmentor. Choose the disk you want to defragment and expect to let the program run for several hours.

~ Uninstall Unused Software ~

We all maintain software on our systems we rarely, if ever, use.

That software can steal system resources. Click Start, Control Panel, and "Add Remove Programs" to pull up a screen that allows you to remove old programs you don't use anymore.

Simply select and uninstall all programs you know for sure you don't need or want.

~ Buy More RAM ~

Increasing your RAM, a computer's memory, can dramatically increase speed when running certain operations or programs.

RAM costs so little now that you should install the maximum amount of memory your system can handle.

~ "Stop Them At Startup" ~

This operation requires a bit more technical savvy than the other four, so proceed with caution.

Many programs load into the system tray in the lower right of your computer's desktop and consume system resources even if you never use them.

Click Start, Run, type in msconfig, and press Enter. Click the "Startup" tab to see a list of programs that automatically start with Windows.

Clear the check box next to programs you know you don't want to load at startup.

But don't clear any checkbox unless you are 100% certain of a program's purpose.

Once you finish, click OK and it will prompt you to restart Windows.

(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved

http://www.thenetreporter.com

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...

Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! "Turn Words Into Traffic"

---

A Beginners Guide to Avoiding Viruses

"Aaaaaahhhhhh! I've been invaded by a virus!" Getting a virus means getting sick and no one in their right mind wants to be ill. Well, now that computers have become our close friends,... Read More

How to Place Home Theater Speakers

You have your television and home theater receiver; you just bought your new speakers and subwoofer and are ready to test things out. It's time to break out the measuring tape because precision... Read More

Internet Explorer Shortcuts for Mouse-o-phobes

If you're like me, you occasionally find the ubiquitous mouse inconvenient. Here are keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft's Internet Explorer (I.E.), the default browser for most personal computers in the business environment.Of course, learning... Read More

Digital Cameras: Hot Gear with the Coolest Features!

Cameras: still known for taking pictures but assumed as digital still today.We have to understand cameras are just as important today as they have always been to us. Most photographers thought when the... Read More

How To Increase Computer Speed And Performance - Great Tips & Tricks

Many computer users are worried about their computer's performance. After spending lot of bucks, still they cannot have that charm of using PC as they had expected. Here I am going to explain... Read More

Five Simple Steps to Speed up Your Computer

Most people download and save so much information on their computer that before long the computer starts slowing down and the user has no idea what the problem is. However, even if you... Read More

Uninstall Windows Media Player 10 and Start Enjoying Your Media Again

Windows Media Player 10 has been full of bugs from Microsoft since they offered it as a download from their site. Windows Media Player 9 was nice and simple. Windows Media Player 10... Read More

A Peek Into the Near Future of Electronics Technology

How long do you think DVDs have around? 20 years? 10 years? Actually, they have only been around for about seven years, but it seems like they have been around much longer. Many... Read More

Buying A PC Flat Screen Monitor

For six years, my Samsung PC 13.8 inch SyncMaster conventional monitor has served me well.Since the appearance of the flat screen LCD monitor, it has become obsolete. Perhaps, the flat screen's image of... Read More

Home Video? Bring it On

So you got yourself a digital camcorder. If you want to be able to edit and produce awesome home videos, you'll need some tools.VideoCharge http://www.deprice.com/videocharge.htmVideoCharge is a quick, easy, and simple processing solution... Read More

A Tale of Two Regeds

Tech support tells me to type 'regedt32' as opposed to 'regedit' to access the registry from the command line (Start > Run). I question the use of 'regedt32,' but he says to do... Read More

Customize Your Portable Player with an MP3 Player Accessory

Everywhere you look today people are listening to personal audio players. And many look for ways to personalize and/or enhance their experience. That's where the mp3 player accessory comes in.Designer skins, carrying cases,... Read More

Taking Advantage of the iPod Experience

Music lovers have been carrying around radios and other bulky music devices in order to take their tunes along with them as they go from place to place. With the iPod ? a... Read More

How To Become A True CCNA

I've worked my way from the CCNA to the CCIE, and along the way I've conducted job interviews and casual conversations with dozens of CCNAs and CCNA candidates. Believe me, people who "sneak... Read More

Anti-Skip Protection on Mp3 Players

There have been some questions on anti-skip protection on mp3 players due to the fact that some of them publish on the box in its feature list.You got to see what the storage... Read More

Is DVD Storage An Attractive Alternative For Your Computer Backup?

If you have a computer for home use or for your business and don't take comprehensive backup for full protection then you are in the danger-zone. Maybe you do not take any backup... Read More

Basic Diagnosis Guidelines for Your PC

Simone is exasperated. She has to work on her university assignment but her PC is not working properly. For example: She would like to open a single Internet Explorer window but a whole... Read More

Faster Browsing Tips

IF WE say that it was mainly because of the Windows operating system that a Computer could become a personal computer it would not be an exaggeration. The revolution is still on. Windows... Read More

Passwords and the Human Factor

Passwords have a strange dual nature. The stronger and safer the password the more likely it will be undermined by human weakness.It is widely known that passwords are the most common means of... Read More

If You are the Only User on Your Windows XP Computer, Do You Think One User Account Is Enough?

I am going to assume that you are running windows xp on your machine, and you are the only user on this machine. That is right, no one else uses your computer except... Read More

JVCs First Three-Layer Combo-Disc Blu-Ray / DVD

JVC developed and used a high-performance reflective film to produce this revolutionary three layer structure. The outer Blu-ray layer can be read by the blue light laser but it is transparent for the... Read More

10 Time Saving Keyboard Shortcuts

Time is money. And when you constantly have to divide your time between your mouse and your keyboard, your workflow rate really slows down.That's particularly true when you're working on a laptop, where... Read More

SOBIG.F Virus Promises Ill Be Back

On 21 August 2003 Symantec Security Response upgraded the W32.SOBIG.F threat to a category 4.It is the sixth version of this worm.SOBIG.F follows a computer worm known as "Blaster," or "MSBlaster," which infected... Read More

Registry Tools Demystified

Not sure what Windows registry is or how it works? Don't worry - there are tools that can take care of all registry related tasks for you, even if you are a seventy... Read More

Nephrology and Dialysis For a PDA

Saving Lives With A Pocket PCFree medical downloads can be a real lifesaver for many people. For those dealing with diseases, using their pda to help monitor their health is one of the... Read More

Is Online DVD Rental or Pay-Per-View the Best Way to Get Your Movies?

With renting methods such as online DVD rental and pay-per-view, it seems almost old-fashioned to go to the rental store. But with all the different ways to get the latest movies, which way... Read More

Digital Cameras + Photo Printers = Quality Instant Photographs

In the 1950's and 1960's Polaroid's instant cameras were all the rage. You could shoot a picture and have the finished print in a minute or so. The quality wasn't that great, but... Read More

Digital Cameras: How Many Pixels Do I Need?

With the bewildering number of digital cameras on the market, it's increasing difficult to know where to start for your first purchase. One of the major determining factors of the price of a... Read More

Emulation Manual - A Complete Guide on How to Change Your Windows XP to Mac OS X

IntroductionMac OS X is the most technologically advanced operating system by Apple. The use of soft edges, translucent colors and pinstripes (similar to the hardware of the first iMacs) brought more color and... Read More