!7# To Cure a Slow Computer - Learn Why Your Computer Is Slowing Down | !7: Sylvania 4gb Touch Mp3 Player For Sale

!±8± To Cure a Slow Computer - Learn Why Your Computer Is Slowing Down

Millions of people suffer from a slow computer. Understanding what causes these issues is the first step to making a difference to your performance. Consider driving a stick shift, without knowing how to use the clutch.

What you notice about the performance is it can fall under two categories: hardware and software.

Computer hardware is made up of all of the physical components that go into a running, working, computer. Imagine you have a four car race, in the line up you have a Ferrari, an SUV, a 1974 Beetle, and a farm tractor; which one will be the fastest? Which one can haul the largest load? Which one has the best MPG? The comparison here are to the different types of computers: a gaming computer, a solid desktop computer, the old computer you have in your basement, and a file server. The 1974 Beetle might be able to get you from A to B, but will probably lose in almost every other category. If your desktop computer is older than 6 years or your laptop is older than 4 years, your hardware has already started to break down, and the system might crash, but in the meantime it might be able to handle some of your basic needs. I would highly suggest backing up your important information at your soonest convenience. Chances are good using a computer that old, is like driving a car with over 175K miles on it, you can expecting major problems to pop up out of the blue.

Computer software could be compared to a car without a steering wheel, gas pedal, brake pedals, radio, or any other dashboard control. You need an OS (operating system) to interact with your computer hardware. Making the most of the equipment you have, is about minimizing problem areas:

RAM (Random Access Memory) - This is your computer's has a short-term memory. You could compare it to a office desk, for every program you run, every file you open, gets placed on this desk. The more RAM you have, the bigger the desk you can work from. Where things slow down the most is when your PC automatically starts running too many smaller programs. Every program operating in the background is like a desk toy, sometimes helpful, but often more than you really need.

HDD (Hard Disk Drive) - This is your computer's long-term memory. You could compare this to a filing cabinet in our office analogy. Every time you want to load a program, picture, song, or file, your computer gets up from it's chair, walks over to the filing cabinet, and looks for the file(s) you're asking for, it then carries it over to the desk space, where you then use/preview your file.

Sometimes though, a group of files can be split up, and the filing cabinet becomes disorganized from so much use. When you hear someone "defrags" their computer, the computer is taking a few hours to reorganize all the files in storage, in order to find groups of files a bit faster.

Another problem that can lead to a slow computer is running low on storage space. If your hard drive is almost full, it can make storing files take longer. Imagine having to stuff files into an already crammed filing cabinet. Removing needed programs or files to give your computer some breathing room would be suggested.

Registry errors - The computer's registry is a system wide settings for personal and system applications. The registry houses many behind-the-scenes configurations that much of the system structure rests on. Because of its importance, minor changes can cause major difficulties, and conflicts can arise while: installing updates or adding new applications. It's never advised to make most of these changes by hand, because of the sensitivity of its structure.

Spyware, malware, and viruses - Don't worry about catching these, you probably already have several sitting on your computer as you read. Like mentioned earlier, your desk space (RAM) is valuable, and when spyware, malware or viruses enter the scene, they start to take up desk space. They also force your computer to do things, and to look at things that aren't on your agenda. The trickiest part is that most malware and spyware are invisible. These problems are like a cold or flu, that builds up as you pick up other unwanted programs. There are ways to avoid them, but that's enough for another guide.

Now you've learned some of the major snags your computer comes up against, click here for more information on specific tools to speed up your computer.