My Computer Is Too Slow
The first step to fixing a slow
computer is to verify that your machine is the actual source of the problem.
Videos that seem to buffer forever, and websites that take ages to load, may
not be your computer’s fault. Geek Squad agent Derek Meister claims that many
people mistakenly identify a slow system as the problem when “it’s actually not
the computer, [but] their broadband connection.” See “Downloads are taking
forever” below for instructions on how to use Speedtest.net to diagnose a slow
connection.
If the problem is your PC, check
whether you have plenty of free space on the hard drive holding your operating
system. Windows needs room to create files while your system is running. If
your hard drive is maxed out, performance suffers. Now is the perfect time to
clear some space.
If
your computer’s operating system resides on an overstuffed C: drive, clearing
out some space could boost OS performance.
Microsoft’s System Configuration
tool is your next-best bet for tackling slow performance. Many applications
launch automatically when your machine boots up, which can stretch out boot
time—especially on older, slower PCs. Make a habit of trimming the startup
items. Open the tool by pressing Windows-R, typing msconfig, and pressing the Enter key.
Checking the Startup Item and
Manufacturer columns is the best way to figure out which potential
performance-killers you can safely disable. Avoid messing with any of the
services and programs that have Microsoft Corporation listed as the
manufacturer. Items such as AdobeAAMUpdater, Google Update, Pando Media
Booster, Spotify, and Steam Client Bootstrapper are all fair game. Regardless,
err on the side of caution: If you’re not sure what the program or service
does, don’t disable it.
Windows’
System Configuration Tool lets you disable programs and services that
automatically start when you boot your computer.
Once you’ve made all your changes,
click OK and restart the computer. It should boot up quicker and feel
noticeably faster.

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