By | No Comments
Last updated: Thursday, September 10, 2009

Q . This Windows computer I inherited is agonizingly slow. It sounds like an air-conditioner running constantly (as though a program is running that uses all the power), and can take several minutes to go from page to page. How can I speed it up? A . If the computer has outdated security software — or none at all — try installing some and running it to remove any resource-hogging malicious software. Plenty of commercial suites are available, but you can also find free basic protection with programs, that include AVG Free Antivirus (free.avg.com), Avast Antivirus Home Edition (avast.com), Spybot Search & Destroy (safer-networking.org) and Microsoft’s free Windows Defender (microsoft.com/defender). Once you have removed any hidden or malicious software from the PC, use its Programs menu and uninstall any applications you do not use to free space on the hard drive. If a program does not have its own uninstaller program listed with it in the Programs menu, use the Add/Remove Programs control panel; Microsoft has a tutorial at microsoft.com/athome/setup/cleansweep.aspx. Basic maintenance tasks can also help speed up your PC. You can find instructions at microsoft.com/atwork/maintenance/speed.aspx. If the PC is still sluggish, it may need more memory. You can see how much memory is already installed by going to the Start menu to Control Panel, double-clicking on the System icon and clicking the General tab; the amount of random access memory (RAM) is listed. Memory dealers like Crucial (crucial.com) or Kingston (kingston.com) can guide you through buying the appropriate chips. Q. The text comes over fine, but some of my Outlook contact pictures won’t copy over to my BlackBerry when I synchronize it with my PC. Any ideas as to why some photos sync up and some don’t? A. The Outlook contact photos that refuse to synchronize with the BlackBerry might be too large (more than 32…

Read the rest here:
Speeding Up a Sluggish Computer

CommentSubscribe