Nothing can be more frustrating for a computer junkie to have a computer that is running slow. You are at work and in a hurry to meet a deadline and your computer won’t cooperate. Or maybe you are on Ebay and you are waiting for the last minute to bid but your computer doesn’t get your bid in fast enough. These are all common problems which computer techs hear every day. There are several things which are possibly wrong and here we will take a look at a few of them.

Most people who have registered products and software on their computer will usually get automatic upgrades periodically. Most people think this is good but over time these updates tend to bog down the PC and cause it to slow down. Also, you may be surfing websites that contain harmful scripts without your knowledge. You might want to try deleting your cookies every few days or so and also setting your history to only retain two to three days. You also need to check newly installed updates and programs to see if there is anything there you need to remove. Rebooting your computer every day or so will also help to keep it running smoothly.

There are software programs and downloads available that will check your computer for any trash. RegScrub XP is a free download which you can use to check for any unnecessary items on your computer. It will clean up your system and help it to run faster. Also there is Registry Scan which will scan your computer and fix all errors it finds. This is not a free program but it is relatively affordable and the improvements are well worth the money.

Windows XP also tends to get bloated over time which can cause your computer to slow down. Reformatting can help this problem but this is not an option for everybody. Windows Vista is now on the market and will take over the market by year’s end. Vista is supposed to be faster and safer than its predecessor. Since there will no longer be technical support for XP you might want to consider going ahead and upgrading to Vista.

If you are not in a position to reformat, you might want to check your system and see how many programs you have running on start up. Also check your icons on your desktop and see if you need all of them. Some programs will allow you to disable them and still save them for use in the future. Others you may find that you simply do not need. Those that are not needed can be deleted. This will speed up your computer while at the same time free up some disk space. One note to remember, deleting an icon off of the desktop does not delete the program from your hard drive. Usually you can right click your mouse and get the option to uninstall the program.

These are just a few things you can try at home. If these tips fail to work you might want to consider upgrading to a larger computer or you might need to seek the help to decide if you need to reformat your computer.