Do you want to speed up your slow computer? Given here are 5 steps that will not only help your speed up your PC, but also enable you to fix several computer errors.

Remove Virus and Spyware

Virus and spyware programs are one of the most common causes of deteriorated PC performance. In fact, if your PC slows down suddenly, it is most probably infected by a virus or a spyware program. These programs add several infected files, processes, and registry entries in the system that not only deteriorate the performance, but also generate several errors on the system. To prevent these programs from infiltrating your system, you must keep your antivirus and antispyware tools updated with the latest definitions and run regular full system scans to detect and remove any malicious information that would have got on to the system.

Manage Startup Programs

Startup programs are those that are loaded when you boot your Windows system. Many of these programs are essential for the functioning of your Windows system. However, there are some that are added by various applications that you install later on the PC. Many of these startup programs are not required unless you are using the application and therefore, they unnecessarily eat up system resources. You can disable unwanted startup programs by using the System Configuration utility (msconfig). You can also check the Startup option in the Start menu, and delete any shortcuts to the programs you don’t want to load at start up.

Clean Windows Registry

A bloated and damaged Windows registry may also slow down your PC. Registry bloatoccurs due to the accumulation of a large amount of unwanted and invalid information in the registry. Many computer errors, such as driver errors, DLL errors, runtime errors, and ActiveX errors are also generated due to incorrect entries in the registry. To resolve these errors and repair the registry, you need to regularly scan the registry for this unwanted and incorrect information and repair it. You can do this easily with the help of a reliable registry cleaner program. Registry cleaners automate the process of repairing registry problems, making registry backups, and defragging the registry to consolidate its files and reduce the size of the registry. Cleaning and defragging the registry helps in speeding up registry access, which, in turn, speeds up your PC.

Uninstall Unwanted Programs

One of the popular methods to speed up your PC is to uninstall unwanted applications from it. This not only helps in freeing up space on the hard disk, but also helps in controlling the size of the registry. While uninstalling, you must ensure that you use legitimate methods to perform the uninstallation. Also, it is recommended that you follow up the uninstallation process with a registry cleanup to ensure that there are no orphan entries left behind in the registry by the uninstalled application.

Clean the Hard Disk

After you have removed virus and spyware programs, gotten rid of unwanted startup programs, cleaned the registry and uninstalled unwanted applications, it is time to use the Disk Cleanup tool to remove any other unwanted information on the hard disk. The Disk Cleanup tool is the one stop tool to empty the Recycle Bin, clear unwanted Internet Explorer files, and delete unwanted program setup files. You can also use this tool to uninstall unwanted applications and remove obsolete System Restore points.

Finally, use the Disk Defragmenter tool to consolidate the files on the hard disk to make them contiguous and thus enhance the performance of your PC.