How to Speed Up Any Computer Using Any Version of Windows

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Before you pay a professional or purchase extra utility software, try these free and easy steps.

Steps

1. Run Microsoft Update. Go to START -> All Programs -> Windows Update and install any updates your computer needs.
   
2. Make sure your drivers are up-to-date. Go to START -> Control Panel. Click on Classic View if available. Open the System properties and select the Hardware tab. Click on Device Manager. Now go through each folder, right-click each item, and select Update Driver if available.
   
3. Update any anti-spyware or anti-virus programs. If you don't have these programs, see the bottom of this page for a list of free anti-spyware and anti-virus programs.
   
4. Run your anti-spyware and anti-virus programs. Remove any spyware or viruses that are detected.
   
5. Clean up your registry. This is made extremely simple with the use of a program such as Crap Cleaner (see below).
   
6. Remove any programs that run at startup. Some of these are necessary, others are not. You can go to START -> Run and enter msconfig to run a utility to remove these.
   
7. Uninstall any programs you do not use or need. It is best to uninstall programs prior to a defragmentation, as the newly-acquired free space will generally be located all over the hard drive, thereby giving rise to fragmentation.
   
8. Defragment your computer.
   

Warnings

• If you are unsure what a program is, don't remove it until you know for sure whether you need it or not. Also, don't go into your registry and clean it on your own unless you know what you are doing; you can really screw up your system this way.
  

Sources and Citations

• http://www.DeBog.com
  
• Free spyware removers: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html AND http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
  
• Free virus removers: http://free.grisoft.com
  
• Crap Cleaner: http://ccleaner.com
  

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