Slow Computer Fix Guide by:

Lanarkshire IT Services
www.lanarkshireitservices.co.uk

Why is my computer running slow? Why does it take forever to start up or

open programs or browse web pages? These are questions we hear constantly
from users.
Thankfully help is at hand. Below are some simple yet effective computer
maintenance tasks that can help improve the performance of your computer.
And ALL the tools are FREE.

Inside the computer

• Is your PC clean inside? Dust can build up on the fans etc resulting in
bad airflow which in turn can cause the PC to overheat. An overheating
PC can cause all sorts of problems such random reboots, screen freezes
etc. Use a can of canned air to remove the dust like this one. For
temperature monitoring there are a number of good freeware programs
that can identify the temperature of your fans, processor, hard drives etc.
Check out: Core Temp or Speed Fan or Everest
Power supply
• Your computer's power supply unit (PSU) powers all the components in
your PC. The more components you add the more power it needs. Should
your PSU be failing or lacking in power then computer performance can
be degraded causing all sorts of strange problems. An easy way to check
if your PSU is not supplying enough power is by downloading SpeedFan.
Once downloaded and installed, open up SpeedFan and look at the
voltages on the bottom left of the Readings tab. Look at the +3.3v, +5v
and +12v inputs at the bottom left. Your voltages should be within + or -
5% of these. If they are not then test the system with a new / known to
work PSU.
Real time security programs
• Having more than one real anti-virus scanner and or malware / spyware
program may seem like a good idea and provide you with extra layers of
security. However having more than one real time scanner can actually
degrade performance as each scanner in turn checks files. We advise
that one real time anti-virus and one real time malware / adware /
spyware scanner be installed on any system.
Temp files
• Clean out your temp files. As time goes by your computer builds up
temporary files from installing programs, browsing the internet etc.
These can really slow down your PC and make anti-virus / malware scans
take a lot longer. You can do this manually by closing all programs and
type %temp% then Enter in to the Run box. A list of files / folders will
appear. To select them all press Ctrl+A then press the Delete key.
 Remember to empty the Recycle Bin. Or use a program such as TFC
Programs
• Uninstall any old, demo or not required / used programs. Use either the
uninstaller that comes with the program or Add / Remove from the
Control Panel. DO NOT just delete the program shortcut or the folder
in \Program Files.
Startup / Autoruns
• Reduce the number of programs that autorun on startup. Do you really
need PowerDVD to run on startup? DO NOT use msconfig to
permanently disable start up items as this is meant for troubleshooting
purposes only. Use StartUp Lite or Autoruns instead.
System memory
• Does your computer have enough memory? More is definately always
better and please don't confuse RAM memory with hard disk space. Right
click My Computer and select Properties to find out how much RAM you
have. As a basic rule we recommend atleast 512 MB for XP and 1 GB for
Vista. You can check the correct memory upgrade for your computer
using Crucial scan my system tool or CPUID
Hard drive space
• Is your hard drive nearly full. Go to My Computer and right click your C:
drive and select properties. A dialogue box with a pie chart will appear
showing you both used and free space among other hard drive tools.
Hard drive defrag
• Defrag your hard disk using these with freeware programs such as:
DIRMS & Buzzsaw or MyDefrag
Hard drive diagnostics
• Check your hard drive's health using diagnostic tools supplied by the
manufacturer. Seagate / Maxtor. Western Digital. Fujitsu. Hitachi.
Samsung.
File system
• Check your hard disk for errors. For XP go here. For Vista go here.
Swap / page file
• Check your swap file size. This should be atleast the size of the amount
of RAM installed in your PC but not more than 4GB and you must have
the available space on your hard drive. 98 / XP guide.
System files
• Check your System Files for errors using sfc / scannow. For an XP guide
go here. For Vista go here.
Services
• Stop all unnecessary services being careful to retain the required ones.
XP guide here. Vista guide here.
Viruses / Malware
• Scan for viruses / malware using our guide here
Drivers
• Update all your drivers
Windows updates
• Keep up to date with Windows Update by turning ON Automatic Updates.
XP guide. Vista guide.
Software updates
• Keep all your software up to date with FileHippo Updatechecker.
System restore
• Once done, create a new System Restore point and get rid of ALL old,
possibly infected ones. XP guide here. Vista guide here.
Following these steps will help you maintain a healthy system.
For help with this please visit:
www.lanarkshireitservices.co.uk