Windows Computer Slowing down?
Common Causes:
‣ Not enough hard disk space.
‣ Left over programs and bad files.
‣ Data Corruption.
‣ Missing Windows updates / Outdated drivers.
‣ Computer is overheating.
‣ Corrupt Operating System.
‣ Bad Hardware.
Solutions:
These steps are for Microsoft Windows PC's that should help speed up the computer or determine why the computer is running slow.
1. Restart your computer if it has not been rebooted recently, Windows based PCs build up temporary files as they work, this congestion tends to slow down the computer so a good place to start is to shut down your computer and restart it. On older computers, i.e., Windows 98, XP, ME, 2000, it is better to shut it down and restart it rather than simply rebooting the system.
2. Check whether you have enough free hard disk space.
Check that there is enough free hard disk drive space, a healthy hard drive will have at least half of the available hard disk space free, this allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for temporary files.
You can check how much space you have left -
__________1. Open My Computer...
__________2. Right click on your "C Drive"
__________3. Select "Properties" (you will then get a window similar to the one below.)
__________4. Now you can see the available space and use the Dick Cleanup button to regain space.
__________5. Switch to the "Tools" tab (as below) then you can defragment the drive using the Defragment now... button.
Note: As a computer works it fills up the empty hard drive space with tags that, over time, congest or fragment the hard drive
_____Defragmenting your drive once a month or so, clears that congestion and frees up the space, thus regaining speed._
• The rule of thumb is that the more free space a hard drive has the better, the quicker it can work, this is particularly so with a 64bit Operating system, as opposed to the old 32bit Operating systems. Mac OSX is natively 64bit. The computer uses free hard drive space as virtual RAM, or virtual Memory, so the more is has available, the better it works. So that is another reason to have an uncluttered freed up primary drive.
• It can be useful to have two hard drives in your computer, one for the operating system and programs, the other for all of your files, documents, photos, etc. This would leave the primary drive "C" freed up.
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Progams ruiing in the Background
Remove or disable any TSRs and startup programs that automatically start each time the computer boots. These programs can absorb a lot of CPU usage and consequently leave much fewer resources available for everything else you want to do on your computer. You can simple remove them from the "Startup" folder under "Start".. "Programs". You may require a Technician to remove other TSRs from your Registry.
To see what programs are running in the background and how much memory and CPU they are using open Task Manager. Windows 7 users can run Resmon to see how your computer is being used.
Anti Virus and Spyware Protection
Anti-virus, spyware protection and other security programs may be running in the background and slowing your computer down considerably. These programs scan the computer and can decrease its overall performance. They are important but it is better to have them scheduled to scan when you are not working on your computer, this can be scheduled by you in the "Settings" section of the relevant program.
Note: It is really important that you only have 1 anti virus program on your computer, if you have more than one they will compete against each other and slow you system down considerably.
Malware
Spyware and other malware is a big cause of many computer problems including a slow computer. Despite having an anti-virus scanner on your computer a malware scanner may also be helpful on the computer. Microsoft provide Security Essentials free of charge for the removal of this software. All of their free protection software is available for download at the Safety & Security website http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.aspx
Update Windows (This links to our Windows Update page of instructions)
• Make sure you have all the latest Windows updates installed in the computer.
• If you are on the Internet when your computer is slow also make sure all browser plugins are up-to-date.
Hardware conflicts
• Verify that the Device Manager has no conflicts. If any exist resolve these issues as they could be the cause of your problem.
• Access by Start... Control Panel... System and Security... Device Manager 
This will show you if there are any conflicts or missing drivers by and exclamation mark, just as there is when Windows does not recognise some hardware. 
You can Update your drivers in Device Manager to ensure that your PC has the latest drivers for your computer. Especially the latest video drivers.Out-of-date drivers can cause an assortment of issues. If you discover an exclamation mark or are unsure if a device has the latest drivers, in Device Manager you can right click on any device, as shown in the graphic below, then select "Update Driver Software...". This can resolve many issue for you. 
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Computer is overheating:
Ensure that your computer is well ventilated, that it is not overheating, overheating can significantly decrease computer performance and can irreparably damage the CPU or Central Processor. Some CUPs are designed to lower their speed automatically to compensate for overheating.
• What temperature should my processor be running at? The average ideal temperature for a CPU is approx. 36°C - 40°C as displayed in the graphic below. CPUs can run hotter than this but this is the optimal range.
Things that can cause you computer to overheat are
• Dust,
• Dirt, and hair can also constrict a proper air flow on your computer
• Bad ventilation
What can you do about it?
• Ensure that your computer case is clean and fans are not obstructed by dust.
• Ensure that your Computer is not in a tight space or corner, but rather has clear airflow around enabling the thermal dynamics of the case to function correctly.
• Establish a protocol with all who use your computer that it is maintained accordingly to avoid clutter building up around it.
Memory upgrade
If your computer is more than one year old it may have insufficient Memory (RAM)to meet the requirements of current software. Today, we suggest at a minimum of 2GB of memory (RAM) preferably 4Gb.
• Determining how much RAM is installed and available.
In most versions of Windows from 98 onward, you can simply right click on the My Computer icon and select Properties to get to this window, alternatively, go through "Start..." "Control Panel...""System Properties". As displayed in the graphic below, this will tell you what version of software you are running, the power of your CPU and the quantity of the RAM that you have installed. If you think you have insufficient RAM then email or call us on 0419 959 948 to organise an upgrade for your system. 
Registry cleaner
DO NOT use any registry cleaners, there are many available but they can actually do more harm than good and are often associated with spyware. Err on the side of caution, it is much safer and more preferable to engage an IT professional to do any registry cleaning you may require. There have been cases where people have downloaded registry cleaners from the Internet, with the best intent, installed them, followed all of the prompts, sure they are doing the right thing and have totally corrupted their operating system, effectively corrupted their computer.
If none of the above tips work:
If nothing mentioned above resolves the issues you are having on your PC, we recommended that you either-
• Backup your computer first - see our Backing Up Page for help in doing this;
• Reinstall Windows.
• Erase everything and do a clean install.
• Email or call us on 0419 959 948 to arrange for this to be done for you.
• If you haver gone through all of the options and your computer is still slow, then it is possible that it is experiencing some serious hardware failure, either the motherboard, RAM, graphics card, or even Hard Drive are failing or beginning to fail. Backup your computer as soon as you can - see our Backing Up Page for help in doing this, email or call us on 0419 959 948 to organise analysing and repairing your computer.
Is the age of a computer relevant?
• 1 year in computing equates 33.6 years in human terms, yes that is rapid but it is realistic.
• 3 year old computer = 108 years old
• 5 year old computer = 190 year old
You will need to accept that ageing is real and an aged computer cannot be expected to handle all of the requirements of modern software and the Internet.
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If you have any questions, require any further advice or information about this or any other topic, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Ph: 0419 959 948 or email us 
