If your computer is really slow, and you need to speed it up. This article will provide some tips that can help you. There is nothing more annoying than waiting for slow applications to load or eating lunch while you wait for your computer to boot.

Your computer may have run great when you first bought it but over the years you notice it is slowing down. Most computer users never perform any maintenance on their PC until they have a problem. Have you performed maintenance on your computer recently? If not here’s a few things you can try.

First of all, you will want to update your anti virus program and run a full scan on your computer. While this may take a while. It needs to be done. Next you’ll want to clean out unnecessary files by running a cleanup on your hard drive. You will also want to delete any shortcuts on your desktop that you have not used in a long time. You usually only want the ones you use on a daily basis to be displayed. The rest can still be found in your start menu, and don’t need to be on your desktop. All they do is slow your computer down.

If you have tons of icons in your quick start menu or task bar will also want to delete the ones you don’t use a regular basis. If you have an older computer. You may want to upgrade your memory. This is a fairly simple procedure and can be performed by most people. You will need to remove the cover from your computer. If you’re not sure how to replace the memory in your computer a search on Google should provide the information you need.

In almost every case, the number one reason why a computer gets really slow is spyware. Over the years your computer has probably collected unwanted programs that run in the background without your knowledge. These are the biggest resource hogs. Spyware can come bundled in almost anything you download from screen savers, applications, wallpapers, tool bars, or just about anything else. When you install the program that you downloaded. You also install spyware and have no knowledge of it. These programs run in the background and collect information on you. It may log your keystrokes, collect your passwords or monitor your surfing habits.

If you have noticed that your applications are taking a long time to load your mouse seems jerky or your computer takes forever to boot. You may be infected and should run a scan. You will need to download and run a third-party anti-spyware program. Since Windows does not provide one. While there are a lots of free ones you can download and run most of them don’t do a complete job and are a waste of time. You’re much better off investing in a good professional version that will completely clean and protect your computer at all times.

The first time you scan your computer you may be shocked at the amount of garbage that shows up, but the good news is that once you remove all the unwanted programs and reboot computer. You will immediately notice an increase in speed and performance. Your computer will run like it did when it was new!