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RAM

You can never have enough RAM. However, most people won't notice the difference between 512 MB of RAM and 1024 MB of RAM unless you're using an intensive program.

Should you buy more RAM to fix your computer issue? SEE BELOW.

Too many Programs Running At Once

Do you have many programs running all at once? If so, you may want to narrow it down to the important ones.

Or, purchase some new RAM. However, as stated above, if you have plenty of RAM and your computer is still slow, you probably have a different issue that additional RAM will not solve.

Driver Issues

Driver files are exactly that: these bits of computer code MAKE YOUR HARDWARE WORK. Driver files can become corrupted, kids can accidentally dislodge them; one file missing can cause a lot of stress and slow down.

For Windows, check to see if all the devices are actively working by clicking on: START MENU -> CONTROL PANEL -> SYSTEM -> Device Manager

If you see any bright yellow signs, it's possible you have a driver issue.

SOLUTION: Re-install or update the driver. You're on your own for this one!

Spyware (aka Adware)

Spyware are programs that cause your computer to be bombarded with advertisements. Basically. (See the Helium Article on "What Is Spyware?")

How do you get rid of Spyware? I will highly recommend: Lavasoft's Ad-Aware (www.lavasoftusa.com). The basic version is free.

Software updates and Automatic Software Update Issues

It is important to get all the current updates for your programs. IF you have been procrastinating about updating your software, take the time and see if it helps.

One reason why computers will run slow is the issue of automatic updates. These automatic updates will run in the background and use system memory and slow down your computer. If you do not want to be reminded, uncheck any automatic reminder buttons.

Driver/Hardware Issues

Driver files are exactly that: these bits of computer code MAKE YOUR HARDWARE WORK. Driver files can become corrupted, kids can accidentally dislodge them; one file missing can cause a lot of stress and slow down.

For Windows, check to see if all the devices are actively working by clicking on: START MENU -> CONTROL PANEL -> SYSTEM -> Device Manager

If you see any bright yellow signs, it's possible you have a driver issue.

SOLUTION: Re-install or update the driver. You're on your own for this one!

Make sure that the issue is not related to a faulty CD/DVD drive. If you have a disk drive that is taking up system memory, it might be defective. Same goes

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