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Even the best computers slow down over time. unneeded files, never-used programs and programs running in the background consume valuable resources. However, this quick 5 step guide can help bring your slow computer up to a good speed.

1. Clean up your hard drive

The Disk Cleanup utility will delete downloaded program files, temporary Internet files, items in your Recycle Bin and more. Windows XP’s version of Disk Cleanup also deletes offline Web pages and compresses rarely used files.

To use this -> Click Start, (All) Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. Select the drive you want to clean (it most likely will be C:) and click OK. Place a check mark next to the items you want deleted and click OK.

You also can remove Windows components that you don’t use anymore. Start Disk Cleanup and click the More Options tab. Click “Clean up” under Windows components. You can remove games, accessories and other nonessential Windows components.

The More Options tab allows Windows XP users to clear old Restore Points. These files, which allow you to recover from errors after installing hardware or software, hog space over time. Just click the “Clean up” button under System Restore and then Yes.

2. Free Hard Drive Space.

No matter how big or fast your hard drive, it will slow down once it reaches 90% capacity. Free up needed space by removing unused programs. Click Start, Control Panel (in Windows 98/ME, Start, Settings, Control Panel). Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

If you have Windows XP, you’ll see the size of the program, how often it’s used and the date it was last used. Click the program you want to remove and then click Change/Remove (in Windows 98/ME, click Add/Remove).

When uninstalling programs, you may encounter a message asking if you want to remove a shared component. Select “no to all.” These files are small and may be necessary for other programs to operate properly.

3. Reduce startup times

Instant messaging programs, media players and other programs can automatically start when Windows loads. They slow down your boot time and use up system resources.

You can stop these programs from launching automatically by clicking Start and Run. Type “msconfig” without the quotes and click OK. Click the Startup tab.

You will see a number of programs listed. Some names are easy to figure out. But most are difficult to decipher. You can search the web for help on what you can and cannot disable.

Clear the boxes for the programs you don’t need. Click Apply and OK. You’ll be prompted to restart your computer.

After restarting, you’ll receive a message stating that the System Configuration Utility is in Diagnostic or Selective Startup mode. Check the box next to “don’t show this message again” and click OK.

4. Use Windows Search To Help

The next tip to speed up a computer is another simple idea. Find and remove large files through the Windows’ search function. Click Start, Search, All files and folders. Then click on the arrow next to “What size is it?” Click Large, Search.

You’ll probably find forgotten video, music or zip files. You also might find data files from games you no longer play. If you’re unsure of the nature of a file, conduct a google search using its name or extension.

5. Defragment

Fragmentation occurs when the operating system cannot or won’t allocate enough space to store a complete file as a unit, but instead puts parts of it in gaps between other files. This fragmentation causes your hard drive to run slower and fragmentation will increase over time.

To Defragment your hard drive, open up “My Computer”, Right Click on C:, Click properties, Click the “Tools” Tab, Click “Defragment Now”, Click Defragment, click ok. That is it!

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