by Robert Cramer

Created on: October 07, 2009   Last Updated: October 28, 2009

Remember when you first got your computer? You would press the power button and in seconds you would be surfing the net, playing a game or doing whatever it is you generally do on said computer. Flash forward a year and after pressing the power button, you are now waiting what seems like forever for the computer to start and when you do finally see the picture that graces your desktop, you have to wait longer for the computer to finish loading before you can do anything. If this is your problem there are solutions, come along and listen.

Now, the main solution for a slow computer start-up is to check what is starting up when your computer does. How you do this will vary on your operating system, but there are also several programs which can help you. When you find this list, the key is to not allow unneeded programs to start. Programs are notorious for wanting to start when your system starts and most are not required. That being said, anything such as a firewall or anti-virus should always start when the system starts. This brings us to point number two.

Another reason for slow systems in general is viruses. At all times a system should have a working and up-to-date anti-virus. There are several different programs out there, not to mention several free ones, but not all are created equal. I am not here to bias, so your best bet is to research on third party tech sites or word-of-mouth by those who know. More is also not always better. At all times, a system should never have more than one anti-virus as they can conflict. Once you have your anti-virus of choice, make sure to have the program updated and run it at least once a week, but it never hurts to run the scan daily.

Another common issue with slow-responding systems is because of adware or spyware. Adware and spyware are very similar to viruses with a main difference, viruses try to infect the system and shut it down, whereas spyware will infect the system and create pop-ups and re-directs. It will also run in the background of your system, causing slow performance. For this it is best to have a good anti-spyware program. Again there are hundreds of alternatives for these programs, but research will serve you best here. When you have your
program of choice, make sure to keep the program updated and make sure weekly scans are run.

If your computer is on constantly, a very good and easy tip for speeding up your system is to reboot the system. A proper reboot will consist of going to the start menu and clicking shut down and/or restart. This will free up a lot of available memory. This is a great and easy step many folks forget.

While there are many windows and registry fixes or tweaks which can help boost performance, they should only be done by someone who is knowledgeable or tech savvy as these tweaks can cause other issues. That being said, there are all-inclusive programs which are designed to provide peak performance and clean out junk files. As with this entire list, these programs should be chosen after careful consideration as they can sometimes be more harmful then helpful.

By following these five easy steps, your system should be running almost like new in no time.

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