PC Curb

1. Defragment.

Defragmenting is a process that organizes contents of a hard drive to store files closer together. It also attempts to create more free space. After completing, you should notice immediate improvements in your computer’s speed and start up time. Defragmenting is free and can be done very easily using the following steps on an XP computer.

For Windows XP; Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragment.

2. Anti – Virus

There are a lot of viruses on the internet and internet users need to protect themselves. Viruses can do harm to your computer and data, and they can slow down your system. This is why it’s important to regularly update your anti-virus program, and perform regular scans. However you must keep in mind it is not beneficial to install too many anti-virus programs. These programs can be helpful but the main problem is they take a lot of power to run, and you will be slowing down your PC unnecessarily. Always try to stay with one program at a time, and uninstall any others you are not using.

3. Delete Unnecessary Files

Freeing up space can improve the speed of your PC. Delete all the files you have downloaded and no longer want. Then remember to empty the recycle bin. Try a disk cleanup, which is located in system tools (same place as defragment). This will delete temporary internet files, empty the recycle bin for you etc. Lastly, you may want to download and install a program called CCleaner, it is free and is great for clearing internet history etc.

4. Uninstall Unused Programs

Most people install a lot of programs over time. If not used, these become a waste of space. Scroll through these often and uninstall the ones you do not plan to use in the near future.

For Windows XP; Go to Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.

5. Disable Auto-Starting Programs

Disabling automatic opening of programs on startup will assist in a smoother startup of your PC. Nobody likes to turn on their computer and have to wait for it to open up programs and start doing virus scans. It is best to go into the options of a particular program and disable it to open at startup.