Learning by doing

After even a couple weeks of use, a new computer can experience noticeable reductions in speed. Browsing the web, playing games and even using productivity software can become a slow endeavor. Fortunately there are some things you can do to increase the speed of your computer. I suggest backing up your important data before trying any of these tips. This guide is for Windows users.

Windows operating systems have a program where you can clear out any temporary files. Temp files are ones that you do not need to keep, but have been kept in a buffer which needs to be cleared occasionally. Clear out all temporary files to remove junk from the hard drive. If you keep a large amount of files on the drive, consider clearing these too. A jumble of files, especially unorganized ones, can make it harder for the hard drive to process information quickly. Large files can also make virus scanning and file searches longer because these programs have to search through a lot of data that is obviously safe.

When you browse the internet, your computer saves a variety of files like cookies and "temporary internet files". These should be cleared frequently to prevent build up. Also, you can set a limit for the quantity of files to keep, and how far back in time the records should be kept. This can be done in the Tools section of your browser.

Viruses are notorious for slowing down computers, which is why you need to take precautions so you never get one. Reliable virus protection software such as McAfee and Norton has passive systems which can monitor your computer at all times. There is also a free virus protection software by Microsoft called Windows Defender. Keep the software updated so it can detect the latest threats. Set the program for automatic scanning in case you forget. You can set it to work in your off time such as early morning or late night so it doesn't slow down your computer while you work.

Defragmentation is an often overlooked way to increase computer speed. Over time, as you delete and add data to your drive, the data for single programs and files can become spread out over the drive. When your computer pulls info for a program, the hard drive must search all over to retrieve the data. By defragmenting your drive, you can "stack" the data close together so the drive can retrieve the data faster.