| Knowing your PC inside and out keeps you in the | | | | 3. Corrupted Windows Registry causes slow start |
| groove. A tweak here and there is all you need | | | | up and shut down. The Windows Registry should |
| to keep it happy. If you can do it yourself, you | | | | be cleaned and compacted. Also give your |
| have an ace up your sleeve. If you can't, | | | | Windows Registry a tweak by optimizing its |
| however, then watch out for the common | | | | performance |
| causes of a frozen or slow PC. | | | | 4. Fragmented hard drive. Your computer files are |
| A slow PC is an unhappy PC | | | | scattered about and are slowing your PC. |
| Just imagine thousands of cars trying to fit in a | | | | Defragment the hard drives. Go to Drive C:, click |
| narrow highway. That's the way it is with a slow | | | | properties, and select the tools tab. Click the |
| PC. The files are crowding so there is little room | | | | defragment button. |
| to move about. In your daily race for office or | | | | 5. Security software demanding huge spaces of |
| school deadlines, a slow boat to China would be | | | | your system's memory. Confirm this by checking |
| better than a slow PC. | | | | out the task manager. To open the task |
| If the same thing is happening with your office | | | | manager, hold CTRL+ALT+DELETE. In the Task |
| PC, then somebody has been downloading large | | | | Manager tab, check out the processes and view |
| files. That is, if you are sharing a network. The | | | | how much of the system is used up by security |
| network begins to respond slowly and times out | | | | apps. If this is so, then it is about time to fine |
| frequently and completely when someone is | | | | tune your security software. |
| monopolizing the network. | | | | 6. Some uninstalled programs may be still lingering. |
| Knowing the reasons for the slowdown can help | | | | This clogs up the arteries of your already slow |
| you pinpoint the cause and you can fix it yourself. | | | | PC, so remove this with cleaning software. |
| Fixing your slow PC may run from the simplest | | | | 7. Small pagefile. Enlarge this by going to My |
| operation like using the defragment feature or | | | | Computer and click properties. Choose the |
| deleting some unnecessary files. If the computer | | | | Advanced button and click change under virtual |
| problem is technical, don't try to solve the | | | | memory. |
| problem. Get a computer expert to do the job | | | | 8. Too many temporary files. Remove the |
| for you. | | | | programs you don't use. You can also use a PC |
| What makes a slow PC? | | | | cleaner to do this job in no time. |
| There are several culprits jamming the internal | | | | 9. Viruses are hard hitting and can damage your |
| highways of your slow PC. Here are 10 of the | | | | computer. You get these from infected emails |
| common causes: | | | | and instant messages. Downloaded files can also |
| 1. Start up overload. When you add programs, | | | | bring in viruses that contribute to a slow PC. |
| these applications quietly add to your Window | | | | 10. Hardware components that want to be retired. |
| Start Up folder. Speed your boot time by limiting | | | | In this case, better bring it to a trusted slow PC |
| applications on your PC. Clean up your disk but be | | | | repair shop. |
| careful in uninstalling applications. | | | | When it comes to computers, don't let a |
| 2. Malicious spyware that embed themselves into | | | | snail-paced PC ruin your day. Get those tweaks |
| your core file system and Windows Registry. | | | | and loosen up the space in your hard disk drive. A |
| These should be immediately zapped with manual | | | | slow boat to China is better than a slow PC, right? |
| spyware scanners. | | | | |