Your,Computer,Slow,and,Sluggis DIY Is Your Computer Slow and Sluggish? Take These Steps

When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in

Does your computer run as quickly and efficiently as it did when you first got it? Chances are, if you’re like a lot of other folks out there, probably not. So what, if anything, can be done about it?Well, I’ve got some good news for you. Many of the methods you can use to restore most, if not all of your computer’s original speed are basic, easy to do and, for the most part, free. Follow these basic steps and see if you don’t notice a huge improvement in performance: 1) Download (and then run) a spyware detection and removal program. Spyware is the term used for programs that are installed on your hard drive WITHOUT your perimission. That, in itself, is not cool, but it gets worse.Once on your hard drive, they begin to send out information about everything you do on your computer. The web sites you visit, how long you stay, and how often you go there. Most any keystroke, including your passwords can be captured and sent to the spyware's home site. Bummer, huh?But fear not! Thankfully, there are two free programs that have evolved into one of the most popular and effective one-two punches in spyware detection and destruction available. The first is called Spybot Search and Destroy and the second is Ad-Aware from Lavasoft. Together they will detect most of those nasty little critters installed on your hard drive and with the click of your mouse, destroy them. And then guess what? You'll be AMAZED at how this one step alone can speed up the operation of your computer! Simply go to: http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download to download Spybot, and then hustle over to: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ to download Ad-Aware. And then run both of these programs (one after the other, of course), as they compliment each other very well, and if one program doesn't locate a particular spyware program, chances are the other will. And did I mention these product are absolutely NO COST? 2) Update your antivirus software.What? You don’t HAVE an antivirus program? GET ONE! I’ve used Norton Antivirus with great success and highly recommend it. However, just as important as having antivirus software is to keep it continually updated. THIS IS CRITICAL! Just follow the simple instructions provided by the software company, and you’ll be a step ahead of the virus creation losers. Also, make sure that your "real-time protection" is always in the "on" mode to make sure nothing sneaks into your computer. 3) Purchase and use a hard drive cleaning program.And I'm not talking about Norton Clean Sweep, here! While those applications do have their place, you need something that is much more comprehensive in the useless information it clears out. These things are an invaluable tool, and they’re not just for sneaky husbands who surf those “undesirable” sites late at night! I personally use Web Eraser, which cost me $30, but was well worth the investment. It cleans out useless and undesirable junk that only serves to slow down your computer, and frees up lots of wasted memory on your hard drive in the meantime. A cool feature is that you can tailor it to clean out only what you want and leave the rest untouched and implements the Department of Defense’s strict standards for cleaning and sanitizing hard drives. Keep in mind that, as with the Spybot S&E described above, it’s important to go through the simple tutorials and help sections to fully understand what you should erase, and what is better left untouched. For example, you might want to save certain “cookies” on your hard drive to make your internet surfing quicker and more efficient while visiting the sites you frequent most or do business with. 4) Defrag your computer’s hard drive.Some folks do this far too often, but others totally neglect it, and this can definitely contribute to slower performance in some computers. Defragging, simply put, consolidates related information on your hard drive so that your computer doesn’t have to spend as much time looking for it when you want to run a certain application. If you use any version of Windows, a defrag program is included. I would recommend, depending on how full your hard drive is, defragging every two to three weeks to help keep that hard drive running smoothly. Although there are many other ways beyond the scope of this article to boost the performance of your computer whether it be newer or a relative “dinosaur”, following the above four steps will go a long way to keeping you happy with your investment and not feeling like you’re wasting years of your life waiting for the thing to complete the simplest tasks.