After you’ve had a computer for a while, the inevitable happens and it starts to run much slower than it did when you first bought it. Although the temptation when this happens is to run out a buy a new computer, there are easier and less expensive ways to make your computer run quicker. With the availability of affordable yet comprehensive suppliers such as Mwave.com.au you can acquire strategic hardware pieces to improve performance – below are some tips on how to tweak your computer for free and which upgrades might be worth investing in:
Quicken Your Startup
If your computer takes the same amount of time to load up as it takes to boil a kettle of water, there are clearly problems. It’s important to remember that it is most likely not your computer that’s slow, it’s just the plethora of programs that load during startup that is slowly the process down.
To help this, you can download a program like Autoruns which enables you to disable programs during your computer’s startup very easily. Or, if you prefer, you could try Window’s own built-in utility MSConfig, by going to the Start menu and using either search or run to find msconfig. Then under the Startup tab, untick all the programs that you don’t need every single time you use your computer.
Have A Clear-out
If your browser is not surfing the web as quickly as you would like, there are quick alterations you can make. If you are using Internet Explorer, consider getting rid of it and opting for Google Chrome instead. It is one of the best browsers on the market and is famous for its fast browsing. Another precaution you could take is using a program like CCleaner to remove temporary files from your computer’s registry, Window’s and any browsers you currently use.
Slim It Down
This doesn’t just mean uninstalling unused programs. If you are not particularly loyal to programs like Microsoft Office and Windows Media Player, switch to ones that use less of your computer’s power. There are free to download applications that can replace many of these programs that will help your PC’s speed as well as giving you extra features.
Automate All The Updates
It is true that updates can be irritating. Most of us find it very easy to click postpone or remind me later when the update prompt box comes up, until you get so annoyed that you end up having to take an afternoon off just to update everything properly. To prevent this go to My Computer, Properties, and Automatic Updates and make sure it is set to download and install updates automatically.
Upgrade Your Computer
If you like to use your PC to play games, it might be a good idea to invest in a graphics card. However, bear in mind that you will have to play around with the motherboard in order to upgrade properly. Though this isn’t too much of a problem as there are online tutorials are available that you can read and watch online.
Another good way to upgrade your PC, which also involves a bit of tinkering, is to add more RAM. If you have anything less than 2GB of RAM nowadays, you definitely should be looking into more RAM.