Tip: This page only covers an overall slow
computer and not a computer that has a slow
boot up or slow Internet .
Below are steps for Microsoft Windows users
that can help speed up the computer or
determine why the computer is running slow.
Reboot
If your computer has not been rebooted
recently, make sure to reboot it before
following any of the steps below.
Background programs
One of the most common reasons for a slow
computer are programs running in the
background. Remove or disable any TSRs and
startup programs that automatically start each
time the computer boots.
Tip: To see what programs are running in the
background and how much memory and CPU
they are using, open Task Manager . If you are
running Windows 7 or higher, run Resmon to
get a better understanding of how your
computer is being used.
If you have an antivirus scanner on the
computer, spyware protection program, or
another security utility, make sure it is not
scanning your computer in the background. If
a scan is in progress, it can decrease the
overall performance of your computer. If this
is the case, allow the scan to complete, and
the computer's performance should improve.
Delete temp files
As a computer runs programs, temporary files
are stored on the hard drive. Deleting these
temp files can help improve computer
performance.
First, we suggest using the Windows Disk
Cleanup utility to delete temporary files and
other files no longer needed on the computer.
Unfortunately, the Disk Cleanup may not
delete every file in the temp directory.
Therefore, we also suggest deleting temporary
files manually. To do this, open the Start
menu and type %temp% in the Search field. In
Windows XP and prior, click the Run option in
the Start menu and enter %temp% in the Run
field. Press Enter and a Temp folder should
open. You can delete all files found in this
folder and, if any files are in use and cannot
be deleted, they can be skipped.
Free hard drive space
Verify that there is at least 200-500MB of free
hard drive space. This available space allows
the computer to have room for the swap file
to increase in size, as well as room for
temporary files.
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