How To Find Temporary Internet Files

How To Find Temporary Internet Files

Anyone with a computer should know how to find temporary internet files. When using your browser, pages or images may be stored in a folder your hard drive as temporary internet files. When a web page is revisited, your browser uses data from the temporary internet files rather than the web server. This allows pages to load quickly since you do not need a response from the web server. While temporary internet files helps make things quicker for you, it may also quickly make your computer less efficient. The buildup of unused internet files from all the web pages you have visited (but are not likely to be revisited) does bog down your processor. Internet files take up valuable space so knowing how to delete unwanted temporary internet files does help maximize your computer's performance. Browsers that use temporary internet files usually have a feature to locate and remove particular internet files or delete your cache en masse.

When using Windows 7 for instance, you need to:

1. Click on Start and select Control Panel.
2. Click on Network and Internet, then under Internet Options choose Delete Browsing History and Cookies.
3. When you see the Internet Properties menu, click on Settings then click once again on View Files.
4. A Windows Explorer window will then appear which will show you all your temporary internet files. This window will also display the URL where each file came from.

If using Internet Explorer 6 and you wish to clear all entire cache and delete all temporary internet files altogether, simply:

1. Go to the Tools menu and click on Internet Options.
   
2. With the Internet Options window showing the General tab, go to Temporary Internet Files and click on Delete.
   
3. After it clears all internet files, click on OK and OK again.

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Want to Increase PC Speed, Follow These Tips

Want to Increase PC Speed, Follow These Tips

Do you really follow that your computer is really getting slow that the past time? Are you facing working problem wants of proper speed? If yes then I solve problem that you can increase PC speed. You should know that computer doesn’t go well with time. Usually, computers have same speed from the buying day. It not your computer’s problem but the software what interferes the computer’s speed.

There is no way to go without do anything while software of your computer is affected. You need to be careful while you download any program to make the most of your performance and getting best computing understanding probable. I have found some ways for my computer to increase PC speed. These are very easy to operate and follow. You just read the below topics and work following those then you will get your PC with natural operating speed.

Scan for Spyware

Your PC may be the container of spyware and adware which are entering every day because they are coming from net that mean while you browse something or download from net. It is one of the major things what makes your computer slow nonstop. I would like to advise you to use the anti-spyware though there are some good alternative things to use.

Check for Any Virus

Virus is one of the major stuff what leads a computer working slowly. I have seen the computers which have no anti-virus program those are mainly affected by virus as a result those can’t work properly. You need to install a strong anti-virus what will protect any kind of virus. If you want to spend cash for this purpose then you should use the NOD32 but while you want to use it free then I will suggest you to download Avast.

Clean-out Your Registry

The registry fault is happened for every day and sometimes it occurs itself. So, it will be wise decision if you clean up the registry as well as fix the faults. Actually, I want to suggest you to use registry clearer from time to time because I am using it for long time and now I am pleased with its action and I am getting the normal speed of PC. You need not to spend huge time to clean out your registry. You just need to scan for two times to clean out the registry.

Use a Defragmenter

If you want to see result quickly then you should defragment your PC’s hard drive. By this process hard drive will be freed up and it is the main effective thing what will help to increase PC speed.

Delete Unwanted Files and Folders

If you find the folders and documents which are not really necessary for your regular work then you can delete those. By this way your hard drive will be freed and it will work to increase PC speed. If you think that you will need those in long future then I will suggest you to keep a backup hard drive.

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5 tips for PC health: Organize your folders, update Windows, run antivirus software

Working on a slow, disorganized computer can be frustrating—and it happens to the best of us. This article will give you some easy-to-follow guidelines on how to keep your computer on the right track using tools in Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Microsoft Office 2010.

1. Organize your folders

We all know how easy it is to dump files into the wrong folder when we're in a hurry. But one way to make sure you keep your files organized is to remove the clutter with a filing system that makes sense for the way you use your computer. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Start clean.
  Begin by deciding which files you no longer need on your hard disk drive.
• Think it through.
  Take the time to plan the best way to organize your files. How do you spend your time on the computer, and what do you create? Do you work with photos and image-editing software, surf the web, write short stories, research school projects, or play games? The folders you create in Documents (called “My Documents” in Windows XP) can be easily tailored to show you just the kind of data about your files that you need to track. For more tips about creating a well-organized filing system, see File organization tips: 9 tips to manage your files better.
• Use subfolders.
  After you have an idea of the kinds of items you produce and want to save, create folders and subfolders to store your files. Be sure to use logical, easy-to-understand names. For example, within Documents, you might create additional folders called Projects, HR Benefits, and Career. Then, within the Projects folder, you could create subfolders for each different project.
• Clean your files periodically.
  After you have set up your file system, inspect and clean it regularly. Routine maintenance tasks, such as deleting old or duplicate files and folders and making sure that important files are in the right folders, can save you a lot of time and frustration.

Email folders in particular tend to spiral out of control, so be sure to spend time ordering and maintaining them. Microsoft Outlook 2010 offers nifty features to help you stay on top of your Inbox. For more tips, see Get organized: 7 ways to better sort, store, and search your email.

Tips:

• To create a new subfolder with Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, right-click anywhere in the folder, click New, and then click Folder. Type the name for the new folder, and press ENTER. For more tips about creating a well-organized filing system, see File organization tips: 9 tips to manage your files better.
• To create a new folder in Windows 7, in Windows Explorer, click New Folder at the top of any folder or library. Also in Windows 7, the new libraries make managing your files easier than ever. Learn more about working with libraries.

Windows 7 makes it easy to keep track of your files and folders.

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2. Clean up your hard disk

Now that you've organized your files and folders and cleaned up your desktop, you can organize the data itself. Windows includes two utilities—Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter—that help you free up more space on your hard drive and help your computer work more efficiently.

• Disk Cleanup compresses your old files to free up storage space.
• Disk Defragmenter scans your hard drive and consolidates files that may be scattered across the disk.

It's up to you to decide how often to run these utilities, but it's a good idea to do so at least once a month. Windows Vista users take note: Disk Defragmenter is automatically scheduled to run once a week (Sunday at 4 A.M.). You can change the scheduled time for this feature or, if you prefer, turn it off.

• Learn how to run Disk Cleanup
• Learn how to run Disk Defragmenter

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3. Use System Restore

System Restore is one of those programs that can be a life-saver when you've been the unfortunate recipient of unstable software, a badly timed power outage, or a damaging thunderstorm. System Restore records important documents, settings, and preferences on your computer. If the unthinkable happens and your computer files are damaged or inaccessible, you can use System Restore to restore your computer to the same state it was in before the data was lost.

System Restore creates restore points daily and whenever you install device drivers, automatic updates, and some applications. But it's a good idea to get into the habit of creating a system checkpoint (called a restore point) when you're about to install new software or take any action you suspect might make your computer unstable. Then, if there's any conflict at all, you can restore your computer to the point just before you began the installation.

Create a restore point in Windows 7

Create a restore point in Windows Vista

Create a restore point in Windows XP

Although System Restore can put your computer back in order, it’s prudent to periodically back up all the files on your computer. Whether you choose to use an external hard disk, DVDs, or a network location to back up your files, Windows 7 makes it easier than ever to safeguard the contents of your computer. You can back up your files if you’re running Windows Vista or Windows XP, too. Learn more about backing up your data.

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4. Keep Windows and Microsoft Office up-to-date

Computer programs are continually improved based on customer feedback and regular product testing. As problems are resolved, you should benefit from those improvements. By checking Microsoft Update often, you can make sure you've got the most recent Windows and Microsoft Office improvements available to you.

Windows 7 and Windows Vista users don't need to sign up for Microsoft Update: An account is automatically created for you during the registration process, and Windows Update is automatically installed on your computer with default settings that you can change later, if you wish.

Windows XP users must visit Microsoft Update to start the update process. First-time visitors might need to sign up for the service. After you've visited Microsoft Update, you should configure your computer running Windows XP to receive critical updates automatically. This free service is called Windows Update in Windows 7 and in Windows Vista, and it is called Automatic Updates in Windows XP.

Learn how to receive critical updates automatically in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP:

• Windows 7
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP

Important: If you do not select the recommended automatic updating option, you must download and install every critical update. If you download the updates but forget to install them, your computer will not be protected with the latest enhancements.

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5. Run antivirus software and a spyware detection and removal tool

Updating your Windows software is just the first step in keeping your computer safe. Next (if you haven’t already done so), you'll want to install antivirus software from a reputable vendor, such as Microsoft, AVG, Norton, or McAfee. As is the case with Windows, it is critical that you keep your antivirus software up to date. Free antivirus software comes preinstalled on many computers, but after the trial period expires, you’ll be exposed to new and emergent threats. Be sure to renew your subscription or to secure alternative virus protection.

If your computer seems sluggish or if you begin to see lots of pop-up advertisements, even when you're not surfing the web, your computer may be infected with spyware, adware, or other unwanted software. Learn more about spyware and what it can do to your computer.

Microsoft Security Essentials offers comprehensive protection against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. You can download it for free. You can also download the free Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.

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How to make a computer faster: 6 ways to speed up your PC

By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer, help increase your PC speed, and help keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Service Pack 3 to help make your computer faster, maintain your computer efficiently, and help safeguard your privacy when you're online.

Note: Some of the tools mentioned in this article require you to be logged on as an administrator. If you aren't logged on as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account.

1. Remove spyware, and help protect your computer from viruses

Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. From the websites you visit to user names and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer's performance. To combat spyware, you might want to consider using the PC safety scan from Windows Live OneCare. This scan is a free service that helps check for and remove viruses.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials for free to help guard your system in the future from viruses, spyware, adware, and other malicious software (also known as malware). Microsoft Security Essentials acts as a spyware removal tool and includes automatic updates to help keep your system protected from emerging threats.

The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is another utility that checks computers running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software, including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom, and helps remove any infection found.

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2. Free up disk space

The Disk Cleanup tool helps you to free up space on your hard disk to improve the performance of your computer. The tool identifies files that you can safely delete and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

Use Disk Cleanup to:

• Remove temporary Internet files.
• Delete downloaded program files, such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets.
• Empty the Recycle Bin.
• Remove Windows temporary files, such as error reports.
• Delete optional Windows components that you don't use.
• Delete installed programs that you no longer use.
• Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.

Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup:

Windows 7 users

Windows Vista users

Windows XP users

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3. Speed up access to data

Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk as a file is opened (to piece it back together). The response time can be significantly longer.

Disk Defragmenter (sometimes shortened to Defrag by users) is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end to end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.

When to run Disk Defragmenter
In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals (weekly is optimal), there are other times you should run it, too, such as when:

• You add a large number of files.
• Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.
• You install new programs or a new version of the Windows operating system.

To use Disk Defragmenter:

Windows 7 users

Windows Vista users

Windows XP users

Running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis is a proven way to help keep your computer running quickly and efficiently. If you'd like to learn how to schedule these tools and others to run automatically, please read Speed up your PC: Automate your computer maintenance schedule.

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4. Detect and repair disk errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.

Run the Error Checking utility:

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5. Learn about ReadyBoost

If you're using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory.

• Learn more about ReadyBoost in Windows 7.
• Learn more about ReadyBoost in Windows Vista.

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6.  Upgrade  to  Windows 7

If you try all the previous remedies and your computer still isn't as fast as you would like it to be, you may want to consider updating to Windows 7.

• Find out if your computer can run Windows 7 using the Upgrade Advisor.
• Compare Window 7 editions.
• Read a third-party review of Windows 7 by David Pogue of The New York Times.

If the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor determines that your computer can't run Windows 7 and you still have the need for speed, it might be time for a new computer. There are some great deals on new computers right now:

• Shop for new desktop computers.
• Shop for new laptop computers.
• Shop for netbooks.

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TOP 4 Ways to Speed Up PC Performance

TOP 4 Ways to Speed Up PC Performance
1. Use a Registry Cleaner.

This will free up resources show you how to increase PC speed with a few clicks. This is one of the best answers to "how to speed up PC performance?". These easy point and click programs also defrag your hard drive and remove spyware. All that with the push of a button weekly will keep your computer running at it’s original PC speed specs. There are dozens of different registry cleaners software and registry cleaner tools available for use with the registry, However only about 5 have really proven themselves based on user support. One of the industry leaders is PC Health Advisor. It was one of last year's Most Popular PC Repair products. PC Health Advisor is one of the easiest and best. It’s easy to get scammed with inferior products so it’s best to choose a registry cleaner with an excellent record.For an in depth comparison of the best registry cleaner on the market, click this link.

2. Defrag your hard drive

Over time, the data on your hard drive gets scattered. De-fragmenting your hard drive puts your data back into sequential order, making it easier for Windows to access it. As a result, the performance of your computer will improve. An excellent registry cleaner will allow show you how to speed up your PC using defrag techniques. For Easy Steps to Defrag your PC Click Here!. Remember that the hard drive is the cornerstone of your system. If it is in trouble your system can collapse.
Tips to Speed Up Your Hard Drive Click Here! If you are interested in speed up your computer on the net. Click the image below. If not read on. 

3. Scan for Adware/Spyware and Viruses


These nasty little worms can wreak havoc on your PC speed. Detecting and cleaning viruses is an excellent way to improve your system's performance and increase PC speed. Registry cleaners will help to remove these buggers also!To Learn more a about the best Spyware removal programs on the maket, Click this link


4. Adjust your computer’s Visual effects


Windows provides a number of resource hogging and interesting visual effects like animated windows and fading menus. These effects, however, can slow down your computer and kill your PC speed. By Altering your preferences and performance needs you can learn how to increase PC Speed in seconds. This is one of Microsoft's tips on how to increase PC speed and performance.Visit Adjust Visual Performance page for assistance.


A excellent registry cleaner can perform all but number 4. If you are serious about learning how to speed up PC performance. Get a registry cleaner and let it do most of the work. There are lot of registry cleaner choices on the market. Learn how to increase PC speed organically and don't get scammed into spending thousands for a new PC.


Bonus Tips

Use a Window's Optimization Tool
Using a Windows Optimization tool can give you a big boost in the the performance department. This takes the work out of your regular maintenance of organizing files, defragging your hard drive and other optimization task. For Windows Optimization Tools, Click Here!

Manage Your Startups

By managing your Windows startup programs and services you can free of vital CPU resources that can re-allocated your PC performance. This is a quick and easy tweak learn how to speed up PC CPU access time.Click Here to Learn how to speed up PC performance by managing your Startups.

Clean Windows Temp Files

Your Windows Temp files can swell to enormous sizes. This will eat up free space that could be allocated for applications you would like to use. Learn how to clean up your PC of useless files

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Speed Up My PC

Speed Up My PC – Introduction

Help me speed up my PC you cry!

Remember how super fast and responsive your PC used to be?

A quick click of your mouse and up popped your browser or application or whatever.

But now things are a little different aren’t they?

Does your PC seem more than a little sluggish to you as you sit there drumming your fingers on the desk waiting for your slow computer to finally start up?

Well, unfortunately over time all PCs and laptops will slow down purely due to you using them! 

But I’m supposed to be able to use it you say! Of course you are but you see as we use them and install new applications and programs and download various files etc your poor old PC becomes more than a little bloated and struggles to keep up with finding fragmented files strewn across your hard drive and running various background applications which probably aren’t even needed and, to be blunt, you can’t even remember installing!Yes it’s a slow steady decline and it happens to us all whether you’re using a desktop PC or laptop and the time may well have arrived to take the bull by the horns and do something about it.
But what exactly do I do about it you may ask?
Where can I find out how to speed up my PC?
Don’t worry we’re going to help you get your PC running super fast once again.
Now, it may well be that time has moved on and your PC simply just isn’t up to running all the latest and greatest applications and operating systems – maybe what you really need is to upgrade your processor, motherboard, memory and graphics card.
Only you can decide if this is the case – perhaps take a look at our PC Buying Guide section to compare our recommended specs against your own PCs specification and decide if perhaps you need to purchase or build a new computer.
Ok, well assuming you are quite happy with your PC just as it is but want to speed up your PC and get it back running smoothly again we’ll look at a number of tasks you can carry out simply yourself to save a bundle on buying a new PC or getting a ‘geek’ in to look at your PC for you.
Once you get to grips with the following tips and techniques make sure that you follow them on a regular basis to keep your PC in ‘tip top’ condition. 

Speed Up My PC – Hard Drive Clearout

Firstly we need to get rid of any unwanted programs and free up some hard disk drive space.A lot of the programs you have added in the past will be configured to run when Windows starts up – over time you will have noticed that your PC takes longer and longer to boot up, it’s all down to the bloatware that you’ve added!
Lots of people nowadays have massive hard disk drives and the natural assumption is that it doesn’t matter that you’ve downloaded and added a multitude of applications and add-ons – hey, there’s plenty of room on my hard drive, I don’t need to worry about it, might come in useful at some point!
Ok, time to get a little ruthless and cut out all the unwanted and frankly useless rubbish that is bloating your hard drive and slowing it down.
Don’t think, ‘but I might need this’, do think 'I need to speed up my PC and it'll help if I get rid of some of the clutter on my hard drive!'
If you don’t generally use it – you can always download it again if you find that you need it in the future. 

Speed Up My PC – Backup and System Restore!

Before you do anything to your PCs files and programs you – and I can’t stress this enough – MUST make sure that you have a backup of all of your important data and files etc.Don’t risk loosing your data – you will not be able to get it back!
You have been warned!
The next most important thing you must do before proceeding is to create a ‘System Restore’ point.
You might easily delete a file of folder by accident which could cause your system to stop functioning, become unstable or in some cases unbootable!
Back up your data and create a ‘System Restore’ point and you will be able to return your PC to its former working state should things go wrong – omit this stage and you very well may not!
Not sure what or how to backup? Read our Data Backup page for guidelines on this.
‘System Restore’ can be found under ‘Start’ > ‘All Programs’ > ‘Accessories’ > ‘System Tools’.

You will need to ‘Create a restore point’, click on ‘Next’ and give the restore point a meaningful name such as ‘Before de-bloat’ and then click on ‘Create’.If your PC won’t boot up at any point during your cleanup simply press ‘F8’ on your keyboard while attempting to boot up and go into the ‘Windows Advanced Options’ menu.
One option will be ‘Last known Good Configuration’ – select this to activate your restore point.
Ok, that done with on to removing that clutter from our hard drive. 

Speed Up My PC – Add or Remove Programs

Go to ‘Add or Remove Programs’ in ‘Control Panel’ and go through the list of programs individually deleting all the ones you don’t require any more or don’t use on a regular basis.Windows own ‘Add or Remove Programs’ will do a fine job of removing most programs but occasionally you will come across a stubborn program that just will not be removed!
This is annoying to say the least – not to worry though; we can now use the Windows ‘regedit’ registry editor program to remove these stubborn files manually.

Speed Up My PC - Registry Editor

Now we must stress here that editing the Windows registry is not for those who are unsure of what they are doing – one false move and you may well get yourself into trouble so if you are at all unsure leave the registry well alone!Once again, make sure that you have backed up all of your important data and created a ‘System Restore Point’ before going any further with this!
Click on ‘Start’ > ‘Run’ and type ‘regedit’ in the text box that appears, you will be presented with the Registry Editor.

Browse down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Uninstall.You should see all the items contained in the ‘Add or Remove Programs’ list here – each will have its own key.
Look down through the Keys to identify the one containing the program you are trying to remove.
You may need to view the contents of each Key one by one until you find the program that you are trying to remove – once done, right click the entry and choose ‘Delete’.
Now you can go back to ‘Add or Remove Programs’ and you will see that the program you wanted to delete is no longer listed – Success! 

Speed Up My PC – Manual Cleanup

When you have finished deleting all of your unwanted programs, whether via ‘Add or Remove Programs’ or with the addition of regedit you should now check your ‘Program Files’ directory for files and folders that have been left behind which relate to the programs you have just deleted.You will need to delete these manually – go to the ‘Program Files’ directory in your C\: Drive. Only delete files and folders relating to those programs that you have just removed via Windows ‘Add or Remove Programs’. 

Speed Up My PC – Disk Cleanup

Now your next task is to delete any temporary files and other unwanted clutter on your hard drive.You can do this easily by using Windows ‘Disk Cleanup’ utility which can be easily accessed by right clicking on your hard drive icon in ‘My Computer’ and selecting ‘Properties’ and looking under the ‘General’ tab.
Or, you can go to ‘Start’ > ‘All Programs’ > ‘Accessories’ > ‘System Tools’. Here you will find the ‘Disk Cleanup’ program. Specify the drive that you want to ‘Cleanup’ – usually your C:\Drive.

Run ‘Disk Cleanup’ and it will – after a short delay whilst it analyses your hard drive – list options detailing how much space can be reclaimed by activating them.You should also delete any temporary files to save more disk space that way.
There is an option in the ‘Disk Cleanup’ listing to ‘Compress old files’ – this allows you to archive old files that you don’t use regularly and give you some disk space by compressing them.

You can set an age limit for files that will be compressed – i.e. haven’t been used for more than a certain period of time so list for compression. 

Speed Up My PC – System Restore

Another often overlooked area for ‘Disk Cleanup’ is ‘System Restore’.Under the ‘More Options’ tab within ‘Disk Cleanup’ you will find further options for cleaning up your hard disk drive.

There are options to remove some of the Windows operating system components that you may not require – you can find this under ‘Windows Components’ but be careful that you do not remove a component that may be required to run your configuration correctly.‘System Restore’ clean up will remove all but the most recent restore point from your hard drive.
If you do this then after it finishes make sure that you go to ‘System Restore’ and configure its settings for future restore points.
Check that only the drive containing your operating system is highlighted and adjust the amount of disk space set aside for restore points to your requirements.

Speed Up My PC – Disk Defragmenter

Now, we have cleared our hard drive of an enormous amount of clutter there should be a lot more hard disk space available but your files and data may now be spread randomly across your hard drive.This is called a fragmented disk drive and will slow down your PC due to the delays caused in searching back and forth across your hard drive for the required fragmented chunks of data.
You need to place all the related chunks of data for a particular file close to one another on your drive and to do this Windows has its own ‘Disk Defragmenter’ program which can be found by going to ‘Start’>’All Programs’>’Accessories’>’System Tools’ and then you will see ‘Disk Defragmenter’.

Check the drives you wish to defragment and then click on the ‘Analyze’ button. Windows will now check the drive and report back as to whether or not your hard drive requires defragmenting.

If ‘Disk Defragmenter’ indicates that defragmentation is required click on the ‘Defragment’ button and away it goes. Bare in mind though – this isn’t a quick job and could take several hours!

Speed Up My PC - Check Disk

Once complete it is advisable to also check the integrity of your hard drive. Hard drives can develop bad sectors which will slow down your PC and Windows ‘ Check Disk’ which can be found in ‘Start’ > ’My Computer’ and then right-click on the hard disk you want to check and then click ‘Properties’ and click on the ‘Tools’ tab. Click ‘Check Now’. You will see a check disk dialog box and you should select ‘Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors’ check box and then click ‘Start’.

If Windows finds any bad sectors you will have the option to fix them. 

Speed Up My PC – Clean up your desktop

Are you one of those people who like to drop shortcuts, files, PDF’s etc on your desktop for easy finding or so that you don’t forget them?Yes it’s handy to add a few helpful shortcuts on your desktop to say a number of frequently used programs etc, but not covered in them!
This too slows down your computer start up time.
Clean up your desktop now – to make it easy change to a folder view where you can list the desktop files, shortcuts and folders etc clearly for easy sorting.
Open up ‘My Computer’ on ‘Windows Explorer’ and go to C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Desktop
You can run the desktop Cleaning Wizard by right clicking on the desktop, selecting 'Arrange Icons By' and then selecting 'Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard' and clicking on 'Next' in the Window that appears. Check the boxes alongside the items you wish to remove.

Speed Up My PC – Startup Programs

Another cause for long drawn out boot up times is to do with the number of programs that are set to run automatically at start up.A lot of these programs do not need to run at start up and can cause you to suffer long boot times with no real benefit to you.
Use Windows ‘msconfig’ to configure which programs you want to run at start up and prevent those that you do not, thereby shortening the boot time - especially if you have a great long list of items!
Click ‘Start’>’Run’ and in the command line type ‘msconfig’ and hit ‘Return’.
Select the ‘Startup’ tab and examine the list presented to you. Uncheck the tick box for the items that you do not want to run at Start up. Make sure you leave any security type programs – i.e AVG, Norton, McAfee etc.




If you are not sure about some of them do a ‘Google’ search to find out if they can be safely disabled from your ‘Startup’ list.Your Start up list may well contain Malware and Spyware entries and disabling these will help greatly in speeding up your boot up time.
For more information on dubious ‘mfconfig’ entries visitwww.sysinfo.org/startuplist.php where you will find information detailing with known threats that you can disable within msconfig. 

Speed Up My PC – Spyware

Here is another culprit for slowing down your pc – Spyware!Seriously, this stuff is bad news and has become a real problem for us all now.
What can you do about it? Well, we are never going to completely rid ourselves of it but we can keep in under check and continuously monitor and remove it using a few free simple tools.
You’ll soon know if you are suffering from a bad case of spyware – having problem with slow online surfing? Getting lots of pop ups and toolbars added to your browser?
Perhaps you have had the offer of downloading a program that offers to fix or check for viruses and to scan your PC and you’ve clicked yes before thinking about the consequences of what you are doing?
OK, what can we do? Install some good quality tried and trusted anti-spyware programs. To cover all bases you will need a couple of programs which will scan and monitor your PC for Spyware, Keyloggers etc.
Ad-Aware from www.lavasoft.de is a great little program that you can safely download and install on your PC to scan your drives for any infection. Ad-Aware will do a full scan of your system and report back with all it finds, mostly tracking cookies and remove these for you.
You can download the free version which is fine for most people but the ‘Plus’ or ‘Pro’ version will offer you real time protection if you wish to automate the process.
Spybot Search and Destroy from www.safer-networking.com gives real time protection and you should also install this program to give you full coverage against Spyware. Spybot will also check your system files and registry for infection to give thorough coverage. 

Speed Up My PC – Rootkit Virus

The Rootkit virus infects the Windows operating system and is difficult to detect with many Anti-Virus software programs.If you think you may be infected or want to check for a possible infection you can download a free detection program from AVG at http://free.grisoft.com AVG Anti-Rootkit will scan and detect any viruses hidden on your hard drive giving you full peace of mind. 

Speed Up My PC – Automated cleaning

Ccleaner - available at www.ccleaner.com is a free tool which will scan and clear out all of your temp files, browser history, registry etc and is simple to operate at the click of a few buttons - simple, effective and very popular amongst those who would like to add a little automation to the process of clearing out their PC Bloatware. 

Speed Up My PC – Reinstall Windows

Finally, if your PC is still slow after you’ve been though all of the above suggestions then you should consider doing a complete reinstall of your operating system.When anyone asks us the best way to 'help speed up my PC' this is our recommended 'best way' to ensure that your PC is running as fast as it can be.
You will need to back up all your data and settings first and it is a fairly long process, but at the end of it all you will have a PC that runs sweetly once again.
To find out how to re-install your version of Windows visit one of the following pages for detailed 'step by step' instructions complete with screenshots.


We hope you have found the 'Tips and Tricks' in our 'Speed Up My PC' guide useful and your PC is one again super fast and responsive!

Hey, hang on there, there is another way!
Sure, performing a clean reinstall of Windows will sort you out no problem but it's a time consuming and tedious process, what with all of the data backup, hunting for license keys, reinstalling all of your other software programs, email etc.
Another option, and a pretty damn good one at that is to let Reimage do a free scan of your PC which will give you a report detailing all that it has found and giving you the option to go ahead and fix your PC without touching any of your data and installed programs etc and without needing your Windows license key and install disc!

The choice is yours, long and tedious or all sorted in around one hour or less without having to call out a PC Tech to sort it for you.
Let us know how you get on if you decide to give it a go :)
For more info be sure to check out our Reimage review or screenshots ofReimage repairing one of our own PCs. 

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