How to speed up your computer
If you want to speed up your computer you need to free up disk space. Windows comes with a disk cleanup tool that helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility finds files that you can safely delete without messing anything up, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
To use Disk Cleanup
- Click, Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean. Disk Cleanup calculates the amount of space you will be able to free.
- In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list.
- Clear the check boxes for files that you don’t want to delete, and then click OK.
- When prompted to confirm you want to delete the specified files, click OK.
Defrag your hard drive
- From the start menu point to “all programs”
- Point to “System Tools”
- Click on “Disk Defragmenter”
- The disk defragmenter will display the hard drives on your computer. Just select and click Defragment.
You can use Disk Cleanup to…
- Remove temporary Internet files
- Remove downloaded program files
- Empty the Recycle Bin
- Remove optional Windows components that you don’t use
- Remove installed programs that you no longger use
Get rid of Spyware
Spyware is software that is usually installed in your PC without your knowledge and spies on your computer activities with malicious intent.
Spyware can use up your computer’s system resources, memory and Internet bandwidth, making your computer and/or Internet connection slow. Spyware can also delete, modify or disabble files, folders, programs and essential Windows components and services.
Many spyware removal programs allow you to immunize your computer from further attack after it has been cleaned. You can also do this manually in Internet Explorer by blocking these sites as well:
- Start by opening the Internet Explorer browser.
- Click on the “Tools” button located at the top of left hand of the page.
- From this point it is necessary to double click on the “Internet Options” button, and a window will open up.
- From here click on the “Privacy” tab and scroll down to the “Edit” button at the bottom right side of the page.
- The “Per Site Privacy Actions” window will open and from here you can add the addresses of the websites that you which to block.
- Clicking “OK” twice will then save the changes you have made.
