Your computer seemed fast when you bought it. Should you just buy another computer or use the services those commercials go on about? Neither, actually. The truth is you can easily speed up your computer with a few simple steps. Whether that means proper maintenance of your computer or installing additional RAM, you can speed up your PC. Here are five tips for making your PC run faster.

Use Virus and Spyware Scanning Software

Many people disable their virus and spyware protection because they get tired of having their favorite websites blocked. However, this software needs to be run to determine if viruses or spyware are slowing down your computer. A good software will not only detect the problem, but also remove it from your computer.

Run Disc Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter

Disc Cleanup removes temporary internet files, deletes old programs, empties the recycling bin and clears out any other unused files. Another maintenance you should perform on a weekly basis is to run Disk Defragmenter. This services makes it faster for the computer to read and write files because it removes fragmented spaces so that files are closer together.

Check for Errors

Sometimes sectors in a hard drive can go bad, which can prevent locating and saving files. The Error Check utility finds these sectors and also finds misplaced files. This is another utility that should be run on a weekly basis to keep your computer performing at optimal speed.

Reduce Number of Start Up Applications

One of the biggest complaints people have is the start up time on their computer. If your computer takes a while to start up, consider reducing the amount of applications that begin on start up. Many software titles will place their application in the start up menu. After installing several titles, it can take a while for the computer to process all of these applications. Go through the start up programs and remove anything that you do not need immediately at start up.

Add More RAM

Last, but not least, if these solutions don’t work, it may be time to add more RAM. You will first have to check to see if your computer can handle additional RAM. You can then search the internet for videos and tutorials for installing RAM on your computer (each computer is different).

Don’t rush out and buy a new computer before trying these solutions. Chances are your computer is simply clogged down with old files and needs a good cleaning. Not to mention, you may also be able to buy more RAM to speed up your computer.

About the Author: Delbert Pounds is a computer repair specialist who loves performing maintenance tasks to help computers run faster. He can also recover deleted files, remove viruses, and compete just about any other repair imaginable.