Does your computer seem to be slogging away, crawling through quicksand? Do you sometimes have enough time to go grab coffee, even though all you asked is to open a silly email? Do you drop your head in your hands and say to yourself, “I just can’t keep on living like this.” Do you sometimes see an hourglass more than you see an arrow? Are you tempted to spell cursor with an “-er” on the end? If so, you need to take drastic measures to make your computer snappy again. Take charge! There are several factors that can cause sluggishness. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Here are some steps, some easy, some not-so-easy, to help you get a grip on hourglassing.
*** Uninstall the stuff you don’t use — Many programs now automatically assume that you want to check for updates to their executables. Maybe the best bet is to just execute them — period. Personally, I think it’s better protocol if they ask you, during install, when, if ever, you’d like to check for updates. These pinging routines can really slow your computer down. If you’re not using a particular application, uninstall it. You can usually reinstall it later if you change work situations. This alone might work wonders, especially if one of those background pinging dudes is somehow malfunctioning.
*** Uninstall Google Desktop Search — Unless you regularly search for documents using Google Desktop Search, I personally suggest you nix it. The performance hit seems subtle, but it’s pervasive (every single file change). Not cool.
*** Upgrade your anti-virus software — All the anti-virus softwares delay you some, but to me, these are non-negotiables. You need them. But what you *can* do is upgrade to the latest version, which, in and of itself, sometimes will get rid of system delays. For example, Norton Antivirus 2006 is said to be a sluggard.
*** Add RAM — How much is enough? If you’re running anything since Windows XP, don’t stop at anything under 2 gigs.
*** Upgrade your hard drive — Yours is probably 5400 RPM. Now you can get 7200 RPM. Yours might have 5 gig of free space. Or less. Now you can probably double or triple your capacity for about $80. Your computer will thank you — and you’ll drink less coffee. :-)
These five aren’t the only five. But they just might be some of the most troubling. Got another suggestion? Add it below in Comments.
Ccleaner has been helpful for us.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
Some free applications to help with this: CCleaner(cleans up unused files and your registry), MalwareBytes (gets rid of most spyware/malware), Spybot S&D (spyware/malware), Auslogistics Defrag (defragments you harddrive faster than the Windows one).
I hear tell a dirty-on-the-inside computer overheats and runs more slowly…and perilously.
Make mine the third vote for CCleaner. (Mark, I have the first three you mention. I just need to use them much more often.)
Here’s yet another endorsement for CCleaner
And a second for keeping the innards clean. Investing in a can of compressed air to periodically blow out accumulated dust (once per month is good) can really extend the life of your computer.
WinPatrol is great at keeping in check all the junk that loads at startup time, slowing down boot times and taking up valuable memory.