What's Slowing Down Your PC?
Posted on November 1, 2005
What makes your computer slow down over time? It seems so fast for the first few weeks you use it. An article on NewsFactor.com helps answer this frequently asked question. The article says hardware issues, memory hogging software and unseen adware and spyware can slow down PCs. But it also suggests a couple things PC owners often forget to do -- use Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup.
One of the easiest cures for sluggish PCs caused by an aging hard drive is included in the Windows operating system. Microsoft'sRelevant Products/Services from Microsoft own Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup utilities are located in the Start menu under Accessories/System Tools.The article also suggests some third party tools that can help with spyware removal.Disk Cleanup checks the hard drive for unnecessary programs and other clutter, such as temporary Internet files. Running this clean-up program at least once a month will keep free space on the hard drive available to speed up file access.
Disk Defragmenter is a very reliable program. It analyzes the condition of the hard drive and optimizes folders and files. When the file shuffling is completed, the hard drive is reorganized so that files are stored in contiguous clusters, speeding up computer performance tremendously.
Monitor the hard drive fragmentation ratio weekly. When Disk Defragmenter shows the drive is fragmented more than 10 percent, click the Defrag button. Plan on doing this at the end of the work day. Given the size of today's hard drives, the fixing process can take several hours.
