How to Fix a Slow Computer for Free: Quick Fixes for Desktop Machine Performance

How to Fix a slow Computer for Free Quick Fixes for Desktop Machine Performance
Jan 8, 2010 Jennifer Marsh
After months of use, a Windows machine starts to have performance issues. The typical user installs several applications, deletes many files from the machine and runs software at startup. many of these users don’t realize that software applications that start during the Windows boot process slow the machine. there are some common maintenance jobs the users can run that help fix a slow computer for free.
Remove Windows Startup Programs using MS Config
Some programs such as antivirus and security applications are started at bootup. However, applications installed that are placed in the startup process can severely slow the performance of the machine. To check startup applications, click the Windows Start menu button and select “Run.”
Enter “msconfig” into the text box. Click the “Startup” tab in the MS Config window. Listed in this window are all the applications that start every time the machine starts. Remove the check mark for unneeded applications and click the “Apply” button. Reboot the machine for these changes to take effect. this is a quick and easy way to fix a slow computer.
Defrag the Hard Drive
Each time the user adds and removes files, folders and software, the hard drive becomes more fragmented. The hard drive head moves across the platters and retrieves each part of a stored file. The more fragmented the files are on the hard drive, the longer it takes it to retrieve the information.
Running the defrag program on Windows places the file data on the hard drive contiguously. this decreases the amount of time it takes for the hard drive head to retrieve information, improving performance on the Windows machine. this maintenance method can fix a slow computer, and it should be run regularly.
Remove Unused Device Drivers
If the user has installed new hardware on the machine, the old device drivers may still exist on the computer. Device Manager is a tool on Windows that identifies hardware on the machine. The user can open the Device Manager by right-clicking the “My Computer” icon (labeled “Computer” in Vista) and selecting “Properties.” In Windows XP, the Device Manager button is in the hardware tab. In Vista, click the link labeled “Device Manager.”
In the list of hardware on the machine, uninstall devices that aren’t used or needed. The user can remove these devices by right-clicking and selecting “Uninstall.” once these devices are removed, reboot the machine for the changes to take effect. this eliminates unused device drivers from booting into Windows to fix a slow computer.
These three simple Windows tweaks fix a slow computer for free. The difference can mean several seconds shaved off of the boot time. after making changes to the machine, the user can download the service packs for Windows to ensure the latest bugs and security patches are applied to the machine.