Electronics Blog

1. Too much software is running slows your computer down. When installing software, some programs enable themselves to start with Windows. The more programs that run with Windows, the more system resources are needlessly being used up. You can easily see what programs are currently running in multiple ways. These are the ways I prefer.

A: Check to see how many icons there are on the right side of the taskbar (where the clock is).

B: A more accurate way, however, is to press CTRL+SHIFT+ESCAPE and select the ‘Processes’ tab. What you will see is a list of software and windows processes currently running. You will also see how much RAM and processor each is using.

Reno Computer Remedy: Go to Start -> Run and type msconfig. If you’re using Vista/7 you can also type msconfig into the search box. On the startup tab you will find a list of all of the programs that will run when Windows starts up. By selecting or deselecting items, you will be able to choose what starts with Windows. Also, go to Start -> All Programs -> Startup. Things listed in this folder will also start with Windows. Deleting things in this folder will prevent them from starting with Windows, but you will still be able to use the software when you choose to.

2. Hard Drive Fragmentation. As you use your computer to save documents, surf the web, view photos, install software, etc. your computer is busy opening, closing and saving various files (some you are unaware of). As it does this, it causes what’s known as fragmentation which is files being saved in various places on the hard drive instead of in a systematic order. What ends up happening is when you go to open a file the system has to go looking for that file. Keep in mind that when you go to open a document there’s a lot more going on than just opening that file. With the disk fragmentation, it will take longer for the system to find all the files needed to do various things – in turn, slowing your computer down.

Reno Computer Remedy: Run the disk defragmenter by going to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter. Try not to interrupt the scanner while it’s scanning. I recommend running it before you go to sleep, that way it can run while you aren’t using it. Screen savers and standby setting should be disabled. Run Disk Defragmenter once a week to once a month, depending on how much you use your system.

3. Spyware Infection. Spyware can slow down your computer and sacrifice your privacy. Spyware can range from simply monitoring your web surfing habits for advertising purposes to key loggers that record your keystrokes, giving someone else your passwords, credit card numbers, etc.

Reno Computer Remedy: I recommend Spybot Search & Destroy, it’s FREE. It can be found at http://www.safer-networking.org. This software will detect and remove any Spyware threats, actively monitor for any new threats and is able to be set up on a schedule. Here at Reno Computer, I run this every day while I’m asleep, but once a week will suffice.

4. Viruses, Trojans, Worms. They all come in many forms, and you don’t want any of them on your computer.

Reno Computer Remedy: I recommend AVG Virus Software. Besides being one of the best Virus removers I’ve found, it’s also FREE. You can find it at http://free.avg.com. Like Search & Destroy, I run this every day while I’m asleep, but once a week will do fine.

5. Registry Errors. The registry is the backbone of your machine. It stores file locations and configuration settings for Windows. Sometimes when changes are made within Windows, the registry gets modified incorrectly. This can causes errors and a slow computer.

Reno Computer Remedy: I like CCleaner for cleaning up my registry. Download it at http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner.

6. Insufficient RAM. RAM (Random Access Memory) is the type of memory your computer uses when you open programs. It’s called Random Access Memory because nothing gets stored there permanently (like with your hard drive). Instead, programs are loaded to your RAM until you are done with them. At which point, they get removed from your RAM. As your computer gets older we all tend to put more software on our computers. Also, as time progresses, newer software requires more system resources to run, causing your system to get slower and slower as time goes on.

Reno Computer Remedy: First, see number one. If that doesn’t work, adding RAM is an inexpensive way speed up your computer. http://www.4allmemory.com is a good site for determining what type of RAM you need and has good installation guides.

7. Full Hard Drive. If your Hard Drive is starting to fill up you may also start noticing your computer slowing down. As well as utilizing RAM when programs start, they also create temporary files on your hard drive. If you are lacking hard drive space, this can cause your computer to crawl at snail pace.

Reno Computer Remedy: Adding a second hard drive to your system may be the answer. This can be done this very easily and inexpensively. Alternatively, you can go through your downloads folder, music files, pictures and videos to see if anything can be deleted to free up space.

Along with supplying $99 on-site Reno computer repair, Reno Computer Services has a community support forum and an articles section loaded with educational computer information. More informative articles like this one can be found in the Reno Computer Articles