SPEEDING UP YOUR COMPUTER
As a computer gets older, relative to the new software you are likely to be using, you tend to notice it becoming slower and slower. Luckily there are a few easy ways to speed it up and get some extra use out of an aging system. I will start with the easy stuff that has the most effect:
1. Consider getting extra memory – as a rule of thumb there are 3 main bottlenecks in terms of computing performance that you are likely to experience: the CPU, disk and memory. If you have an older system, chances are it only came with limited RAM and so taking that up to 8GB will make a noticeable difference, especially when using more than one application at a time. This is not usually very expensive and IMO usually gives the best bang-for-buck performance increase. You need to make sure you have the correct RAM in terms of socket and speed etc. If you’re in any doubt then call MobileTechie who will fit RAM for you at a very reasonable price.
2. Check your disk space – if you are very close to running out of disk space you will get speed issues and so clearing out old files will, in this case, make a big difference.
3. Defragment the drive – if you’ve not done this for a while, you will get a useful performance increase.
4. Set your page file to 1.5x the size of your physical RAM. Don’t use the variable or system managed size. Set the max and min to the same figure. It is best to set it to zero first, degrament the drive and then reset it as described. That way to ensure the pagefile is not itself fragmented. See point 2. here since you need adequte space for the pagefile to operate correctly.
5. Uninstall unneeded applications. This will free up space and remove any processes that run unnoticed in the background.
6. Prevent unnecessary applications from starting up. Using one of the many free startup tools you can stop apps like Adobe Speedlauncher and many others from starting up with Windows. This will improve your boot time as well as available memory and CPU.
There are other, more advanced tune-up options available but the above are simple, effective ones with a good chance of making a difference. I would advise against automated tune-up tools, especially ones involving “registry cleaning” which can render the system unbootable and have only a very small performance improvement anyway.
MobileTechie offers a full, in-depth diagnostic and tune-up service which can be done on-site at your home or business. if you are in the Berkshire, Bucks, Surrey or Hands area then call now for a no-obligation quote on 01344 751436