Windows is where it’s really at. It has numerous benefits such as the ability to play amazing computer games, write amazing computer programs, (and the most amazing part) it’s cheap! However unlike Macs, Windows requires more maintenance to keep running smoothly and quickly. IT specialist recommend that Windows user perform computer maintenance every 3 to 4 month. This maintenance requires that you perform several different computer activities.
* The first two activities I recommend you do every 1 to 2 weeks.
The first activity is to free up disk space.
I recommend that you download a software called CCleaner. It can be downloaded from www.piriform.com/ccleaner. Press download and it will open another page. Press Download from filehippo. It will open up another page go to the right side and press Download Latest Version.
Or you can download directly from here.
This software is very useful. Run the cleaner. Use default settings if you are unfamiliar with the meaning of the terms on the left side. This will remove the temporary files and will help free up space.
The second is to clean the registry. The registry is a database on the computer that stores the settings and options on the Windows Operating system.
I also recommend that you use Ccleaner for this step as well. Just press scan for Issues and afterwards Fix selected issues. Make sure to press fix all.
The third activity is to defragment the disk. To do this go into a program called Disk Defragmenter. You can find it by pressing the Start button going into All program and into accessories.
Start the program. Press Analyze disk followed by Fragment Disk. If you need more help follow on screen instructions.
The Fourth activity is to make sure that you keep your computer protected from viruses and spyware. York university has many free amazing programs it offers to students if you do not already have an antivirus program. Such as Symantec Endpoint Protection and Spybot. The programs can be found here. Make sure to press Free Downloads followed by Windows Download to get to the programs.
If you already have an anti-virus or spyware software open it up and make sure that the anti-virus and spyware definitions are up to date. If not make sure to update it to the most recent definition. After updating the definitions make sure to run a complete computer scan.
These steps should help you keep your Windows computer running. If your computer is still running extremely slow after completing these steps you can always do several other things such as increasing the RAM in a computer (make sure to speak with a professional before upgrading the RAM as to determine the right type for your computer); and worst case scenario re-install the Operating system (Make sure all of your files are backed up).