Six Ways to Speed Up Your PC

Is your PC a roadrunner or a turtle? For too many users, the latter may be somewhat true. The good news is it does not have to be that way. I've listed 6 steps you can take that should increase your PC's speed. None of the steps will cost you any money. They can all be performed with Windows or with free versions of software found on the Internet. If you would like to see more ways to increase your PC's speed, you can find it on my other technology blog using the link below.

1. Ensure you are virus free by running a virus and spyware/adware scan to check for possible infections. 

• Two good virus protection programs are from Avast.com and AVG.com. Each of them has a free version that can be downloaded from the sites mentioned and you will receive free virus definition updates as well.
• In fact, you should have a good virus protection program running 24/7 and have its virus definitions updated regularly. If the scan shows infection, successful removal will have a substantial impact on the speed of your system. Your pc should certainly run faster as a result.

2. Check the Windows Registry for errors.

• The Registry is a hierarchical database created during the installation of Windows. It contains binary files that hold system configuration information about various aspects of Windows, including security settings, user profiles, installed applications, attached hardware, and system properties.
• Registry problems can occur for various reasons, including power failures, corrupted Registry files, hard disk errors, or mistakes made while editing the Registry directly. It is time consuming to manually correct Registry errors, so it's much easier to let a registry checker/cleaner do the work. You can find a free registry cleaner by doing a web search with the words, "free registry cleaner".

3. Use the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to free up hard drive space so that you have a minimum of 20% of your hard drive free.

Freeing up hard drive space using the disk cleanup utility deletes the following. None of these are important to your PC’s operation. You can delete them safely.

• Temporary Internet files
• Recycle Bin files
• Optional Windows programs that you don't use
• Installed programs that are not used
• Unused restore points from the System Restore mode

Open Windows Explorer by Right-button mouse click the Start button. Select Explore.  Right-button mouse click the C drive (or the letter that represents your hard drive) . Select Properties from the shortcut menu. On the dialog box that appears, select the Disk Cleanup button. It will scan your PC for candidates to delete. Check the ones you want to delete; select OK.

4. Defragment your hard drive for faster disk read and writes.

• If using Windows 7/8 (If you don't have Windows 8.1 yet which adds the Start button, on the Start screen tiles you should be able to find the Explorer tile) Open Windows Explorer by Right-button mouse click the Start button. Select Explore.  Right-button mouse click the C drive (or the letter that represents your hard drive) . Select Properties from the shortcut menu. On the dialog box that appears, select the Tools tab, select the Optimize (defragment) button. On the dialog box that appears, select Optimize
• If using Windows XP, select the Start Button - Programs - Accessories - Systems Tools - Disk Defragmenter.
• Select the Analzye button, which will check the hard drive for degree of fragmentation and determine if it's a candidate to deframent. If it's heavily fragmented, defragmenting the drive could possible take 2-3 hours or more. If you defrag your drive regularly, as part of a regular system maintenace chore, time for this will be minimal. If it needs defragmenting, select the Defragment button.

5. Run an online Internet speed test.

A good speed test site is www.speedtest.net. Give it a few seconds to load and select the "Begin Test" button. Conduct the test during different parts of the day, since performance varies throughout the day. Most of the online testing sites will test the speed for bandwidth and the quality of the connection through a ping test. Note the download and upload speeds. If the speed test results in less than 80 percent of their published speed or the ping test takes longer than the average time, contact your ISP's technical support and explain your case so they can troubleshoot. If their checks do not indicate anything wrong with their end, continue to step 6.

6. Ensure you're getting the best possible service for your Internet service provider's (ISP) service plan.

• Check your service plan details from your Internet service provider and locate the upload/download speeds expected. The stated speed will range from a few hundred kilobits per second to several  megabits per second. While these numbers will vary between regions of the country and Internet service provider, you should verify the downstream and upstream speed for your package.
• Call your Internet service provider customer service and explain your speed problem for a possible free improvement or upgrade. Providers update their service plans regularly. If you signed up for your service more than a few months ago, you should verify you’re receiving the best service possible. It is possible to have your speed increased without additional cost, just from calling their customer service. Sometimes you'll find a service upgrade package for a few extra dollars that will substantially boost your speed.

After performing the above steps, you should notice a faster PC. Several of the steps should be performed on a regular basis, perhaps once per month, depending on how much you use your PC. 

If you would like more tips on how to speed up your PC, you can find it at: http://www.jhsconsulting.com/blog/2011/05/how-to-speed-up-your-pc.html.

I’m Jim Scarbrough and a regular technology contributor to the Patch. To view my other technology blog go to:http://pcjournal.typepad.com/blog