There are few things in life more frustrating than having a PC, which for no particular reason, simply hangs.
The programmes come up as non-responsive, web browsers simply won’t load properly, and all that time, you are growing increasingly stressed out because you are not able to get stuck into the work that needs doing.
The reasons why a computer might be incredibly slow are numerous. It could be a software issue or one related to the hardware, and sometimes a couple of tweaks is all you need to speed things up, while there are also times when you need to admit defeat and call your IT company.
If you are not quite at the point of calling it quits and getting the professionals in, there are actually a few fairly easy things that you can do to improve the speed of your PC if you are comfortable with computers and you more or less know what you are doing. Should you not be all that comfortable with getting stuck into this sort of thing, it is best to skip this blog, and just call in the pros.
Try this to make your computer function faster right now
There are many ways to speed up a computer, but these are some of the quicker ways to optimise your computer’s speed.
- Close those unused tabs
The web browser is something that just about everyone uses on a daily basis. Logging into your computer first thing in the morning and opening FireFox or Chrome is so routine for most of us that it has become second nature. But many people don’t realise just how much disk space search engine browsers take up and some people even think that since the browser is on the web, it shouldn’t affect the PC speed at all.
But it does, and web browsers can really slow down a computer when you have more than 5 or so tabs open at any given time. One of the first things that you should do when your PC is slow is to check how many tabs you have open. If you have too many running, and you are not using them all, close them. Doing so will speed up the computer.
- Clean up your files
From temporary files used during the installation process, to big image documents or PDFs that you are no longer using, deleting files you are no longer needing not only frees up space for new files but it can also make your computer run faster.
- Remove unused programmes
Sometimes, especially when buying a laptop, your computer will come with various programmes already installed. And over time, you are going to accumulate all sorts of other programmes that at one time or another you probably used. Over time, the amount of unused programmes is going to accumulate to the point that the amount of space they take up will slow down your system.
The easiest thing to do is to go to your control panel, select the programme option and look through what’s on your PC. It is then as easy as uninstalling what you no longer use.
- Restart the computer
One of the longest running jokes in the IT world comes from the IT Crowd series, where one of the IT techs grows tired of asking people if they have tried turning their computer on and off again. Although it is one of the biggest clichés, it is actually great advice. And it is a quick fix for many computer problems.
Should you be struggling to get your PC working, one of the first things you should do is to restart it.
- Stop programmes starting on start up
Sometimes when a programme is installed, it is designed to open as your computer starts up. While this is occasionally helpful, it can slow the computer down a great deal. If you don’t need the programme every day, it is best to unselect this option so that your computer can run optimally.
At 24/7 IT Services, we are one of the leading IT companies to outsource your IT needs to. We offer a wide range of helpful services, suitable for small and medium businesses, including basic IT support, networking services, and security solutions.
