I spend most of my day working on a computer and one of the things that frustrates me the most is when it is running slow. Here are some simple things you can do yourself to help your computer run faster:
Uninstall unused programs: it may seem like a simple step but we all have programs on our computers that we don't use and these take up memory space and some programs even run background processes when you turn on your computer, even though you are not using them.
To remove these programs, go to: Control Panel > Programs and Features, and have a trawl through the list of installed software. Uninstall those that you do not need, but be careful to leave programs your computer's hardware needs.
Run a disk defragment: Over time, as you add, move, and remove files and folders on your computer, the bits of data become scattered over the hard disk drive. This can slow down the performance of the computer. By running a disk defragment, the program groups the fragmented files together on your hard disk drive to improve computer speed and overall performance.
To run a disk defragmentation, go to: Control Panel > Performance Information and Tools > Advanced Tools > Open Disk Defragmenter > Defragment Disk. You can also set this up to run automatically by clicking on the Configure Schedule button.
Run disk clean up: Windows also includes a built-in disk de-cluttering tool called "Disk Cleanup". It searches through the system for unnecessary large files such as temporary Internet files, program installers, and so on.
To run a disk clean up, go to: Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup.
Clear your cookies and other temporary files: cookies and temporary files build up on your computer through everyday tasks and can remain on your hard disk, slowing the computer down. Getting rid of these files should give you a larger amount of hard disk space, speeding up your PC.
To delete these temporary files, go to: My Computer > select your local drive (usually C:\) > Windows > Temp > delete the files.
If you want to clear your cookies, try this link which gives instructions depending on your internet browser.
Install an anti-virus program: the fewer bugs, viruses, and bits of adware your computer has to manage, the more time it will have to devote to other processes. While you're at it, make a point of keeping Windows up-to-date; not only will this keep Windows itself in better shape, but some viruses ride in on Windows updates that are downloaded way after the fact (and therefore not monitored as closely).