Does your computer take twenty minutes to turn on and even longer to open up your email? There’s nothing more frustrating than a slow computer. We get you and we are here to help!
Like your car, your computer requires regular maintenance to prevent slowdowns, crashes, and potential system failures. If your computer is slow because of viruses, you can try running a FixMeStick scan to speed things up.
However, if your computer is still slow after running your FixMeStick, below are some other things you can try to speed up your computer.
What could be slowing down your computer?
- A full hard drive (you have too many photos, songs, movies, applications, files, and/or temporary files)
- Out-of-date operating system or applications
- Unwanted programs running in the background (often without your knowledge)
- Un-optimized browser settings
- A corrupted or fragmented hard drive
- Your computer is too old
FixMeTip 1 – Uninstall excess programs
Do you have a lot of “mystery” programs on your computer?
You can install these unwanted programs, sometimes called bloatware, often without knowing. Before you uninstall them, make sure they are unwanted programs by checking this helpful website here.
On Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 computers:
1. Click on “Programs” and open “Programs and Features” in Control Panel
2. Uninstall any programs you don’t use
On Windows XP computers:
1. Click on “Add or Remove Programs” in Control Panel
On Mac comptuers:
- Open Finder (it resembles a blue face)
- Click Applications then find the program that you want to uninstall
- Select the program or file and move it to the Trash
FixMeTip 2 – Limit the Number of Startup Programs
Startup programs are the programs that automatically launch or open up when you turn on your computer for the day. A common one is Skype. If you don’t use these programs, considering disabling them.
On Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 computers:
1. Go to Task Manager by clicking CTRL + ALT + DEL on your keyboard
2. Click on the startup tab to see all currently active programs
3. Disable startup programs that are running in the background
On Windows Vista and 7 computers:
1. Type “Misconfig.exe” in the search bar
2. A window with “System Configuration” will appear
3. In the startup tab, disable any programs that are running in the background
FixMeTip 3 – Update Software Frequently
Update your Windows operating system regularly to fix any occurring issues. These updates usually happen automatically when you shut down your computer.
If you missed an update, in Windows 8, 8.1, or 10 you can access them through the Start Menu:
- Open Settings, click on “Updates and Security”
- Click “Check for Updates”
FixMeTip 4 – Clean up Your Hard Drive
Doing a disk clean-up will remove temporary and unnecessary system files and empty the recycle bins. Additionally, it should also fix errors on your hard drive that need to be corrected.
To start a Disk Clean-up, check out our Knowledge Base Article for detailed instructions!
FixMeTip 5 – Clean Out Your Browser
Many viruses can change settings in your internet browser, making it slow and unusable. Even after a FixMeStick scan, pop-ups could still make their way through to slow down your computer. You can clear out your browser by following these steps.
FixMeTip 6 – Cut back on Visual Effects
To limit animation on Windows 10:
- Go to the “start menu” and search “advanced system settings”
- Click on the advanced tab
- Click on “settings”, below a box labelled performance
- A window with a list of visual effects will appear – uncheck any that you think are questionable. There is also the option to “adjust for best performance” that will prioritize performance over appearance.
FixMeTip 7 – Run System Mechanic!
System Mechanic is a software specifically designed to speed up your computer. It works by:
- Removing unwanted clutter
- Adjusting apps to unleash more speed
- Optimizing startup times by removing startup bottlenecks
- Repairing the registry to help programs run smoothly
- Unlocking trapped RAM when you need it most
- Can be used on an unlimited number of computers
Like your car, your PC requires regular maintenance to prevent slowdowns, crashes, and even potential system failures. Together with FixMeStick, make sure your computer is clean and optimized to perform at peak performance.
FixMeTip 8 – Try the StartMeStick!
Our latest product, the StartMeStick is a plug and play device that turns any computer into a fast, secure, and private one and brings your computer back from the dead!
Everything you do online you can do with the StartMeStick, e.g. social networks, search, email, video, music, games, business apps etc.
Just clip it on your keychain and use it on as many computers as you like.
The best part? The StartMeStick never slows down! It doesn’t save anything so it doesn’t collect the junk that causes frustrating errors, crashes, freezes, and slowdowns. It is like brand new every time you use it.
Have a question about any of this? Leave it in the comments below! We hope you enjoy your faster computer.
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