Saturday, May 28, 2011

Some Tweaks to Speed Up Your PC

You don't have to rush to buy a new one if your PC is becoming sluggish. Some few and easy (and free) tweaks can still speed it up. They need regular maintenance through regular tune ups to restore its peak performance and extend its lifetime.

Get rid of unnecessary files/programs in your PC which is one reason why PCs can become slower. Delete unneeded stuff off the hard drive which can help speed start up and energize the CPU. Ditch trial versions of software, like games, internet services, so on, as well as temporary files and system logs.

For PC: Use Disk Cleanup (search via Start Menu) to get rid of files.
For MAC: Drag apps/files to the trash. Delete an application support folder as well which can be found under your username>Places>Library?Application support.

Store and organize documents, folders, photos and programs in one place. Cluttered files can make your PC waste its memory and takes time.
For PC: Stash all files and apps under My Documents. Create shortcuts for desktop access by right clicking the item and select Send to Desktop.
For MAC: Move files to folders under Places.

Disable auto-launch of some apps wherever possible since it can delay start up.
For PC: For Windows Vista users and Windows 7, type "msconfig" in the Start Menu; in XP, type "run", then "msconfig". Click start up, then deselect apps you don't need right when you turn your PC on.

For MAC: Go to System Preferences>Accounts, pick user, then click Login Items. Uncheck apps you don't want to self-launch at start up.

PC Security suites can drain computing resources while scanning for threats. Trading out these ones for simple virus protection can make your computer more efficient.

Your PC Needs to be Replaced When:
  • It takes 5 minutes to start up.
  • Too slow to switch between apps.
  • The hard drive grind loudly.
  • The CPU refuse to load graphics-heavy programs and stutter out online video.
You can then skip the tune up and it's time to go to your PC store ;).

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