how to make your computer run faster (with pictures) - wikihow

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How to Make Your Computer Run FasterTwo Methods: Windows Macintosh

Is your computer slowing down, whizzing and whirring as tries to keep up with

you? Before you spend hundreds or even thousands on a new computer, you

may find it only takes a few simple commands to make your Windows or Mac

computer run faster.

1. Back up your computer. Many of us have what feels like our entire

lives stored on our computers--photos of cherished memories, the

evolution of our musical taste, school work, tax returns and, more and

more, everything we need to do our work to make a living. Before

making any major changes, it is always a good idea to back up essential

files.[1]

Purchase an external hard drive that is larger than the hard drive you

want to backup.[2] Inserting the USB of the external hard drive should

automatically prompt your computer to give you the option to use the

drive for back up.

If you are worried about losing or damaging an external hard drive,

you can back up important files online. Subscribe to a secure back

up service (like Carbonite or SOS Online Backup). You can set your

computer to back up to the cloud on a schedule or even every time

you make a change to a file.[3]

You can always back up onto CDs or DVDs, but keep them in a safe

place so they are not scratched, broken, or damaged.

2. Restart your computer. This can temporarily speed up a slow

computer by "refreshing" the memory. You can log off your account an

then back on, restart, or completely shut down the computer, wait a few

seconds, and then turn it back on.[4]

Make sure you save any projects you are working on before turning

off your computer!

1 Check your hard disk space first. Go to My Computer, right-click on Local Drive,and go to Properties. There you'll see a pie chart of your free versus used space.This can help you diagnose where the problem lies: if the disk is mostly full, you will need to

remove programs and files; if there's still plenty of room, there may be something wrong

Before You Begin

Method 1 of 2: Windows

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with your operating system.

As a rule, you want to keep at least 15% of the hard disk space free to keep the

computer running smoothly.

If you find you simply need more space, consider buying and installing a Solid

State Drive (SSD's) to complement or replace your hard disk. They are faster and

much more secure than hard drives.

Remove any programs you do not use. Go to Control Panel > Add or Remove

Programs (or Uninstall a Program, depending on your operating system) to find a

master list of programs installed on your computer. Some things will strike you as useless

immediately, in which case you can remove them right away. Others wont look familiar to

you and may require you some research.

It may help to see how often you use the program. If you right-click one of the

column titles above your program list, you should be able to add additional

characteristics by which to organize your programs. Check Last Used On and a

column displaying the last time you used each program will appear. This will

quickly show you which programs you use frequently and the ones you haven't used

in years.

When in doubt, don't remove anything you dont recognize.

Don't forget to empty your recycling bin.

Prevent unnecessary programs from starting when the computer boots up.

Some programs may start as soon as you turn on your computer, running in the

background so they will load quickly when you open them. Open the Start Menu and run a

search for msconfig. Click on the Startup to see a list of all the programs that run when

you boot up your computer and uncheck anything unnecessary.

You can also check the taskbar to see which programs are running on start up (be

sure to click the Show Hidden Icons button so you don't miss any).

Change the power plan of your desktop computer to High Performance. Go to

the Control Panel and select Power Options. You will find a list of power plans,

usually Balanced, Power Saver, and High Performance. These settings control how your

computer uses power--either by lowering performance to optimize battery life, maximizing

performance with major power consumption, or a balance between the two. Selecting High

Performance may increase the speed and overall performance of your computer.[5]

This is only helpful if you have a desktop PC--using the High Performance setting

on a laptop will drain your battery power.

Remove any unnecessary entries from the Windows Context Menu (the menu

that pops up when you right-click something). Sometimes programs will ask to

be added to the menu, others will add themselves automatically. To remove programs,

press the Windows key + r to open the Run box. Type in regedit and click OK.[6] Click

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT > * > shellex > ContextMenuHandlers, then delete the files

you don't want.

Be extremely careful whenever editing something using the Registry, as using it

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incorrectly can damage your system. If you're not comfortable using regedit, try

searching for freeware that will allow you to edit your Context Menu.

Install an anti-virus program, spyware scanner, and an anti-malware. The fewer

bugs, viruses, and bits of adware your computer has to manage, the more time it will

have to devote to other processes.[7]

Keep Windows up-to-date. Not only will this keep Windows itself running smoothly,

but some viruses ride in on Windows updates that are downloaded long after the

update is available (and therefore are not monitored as closely).[8]

Run a Disk Cleanup. This can clean up hundreds of megabytes by deleting

temporary files, unnecessary system files, and emptying your recycling bin.[9] Go to

My Computer, right-click Hard Drive and select Properties. Click Disc Cleanup (within

the General tab). A window will pop up asking which files you'd like to remove. Check those

you wish to delete and run the cleanup.[10]

You'll want to keep any game files (unless you want to delete your saved games)

and setup files.

If you have multiple drives or a partition, you must select the one you want to be

cleaned.[11]

Run a Disk Defragment. When data is fragmented, your computer must search for

the fragments of files that could be spread all over your hard drive. Defragmenting will

organize your data and free up space so your computer can access data faster.[12] Go to

My Computer, right-click the Hard Drive and select Properties, then go to the Tools tab

and click Defragment Now.

Fragmented data can be on your hard disk or removable drives, like USB and

flash drives.[13]

Disable visual effects. There are 20 visual effects you can turn off or on. To turn off

all effects and maximize performance, go to Control Panel > System > Advanced

System Settings and click on the bullet which says Adjust for best performance.[14]

If you don't want to sacrifice all the visual flair, try selecting Let windows choose

what's best for my computer first.[15]

Add RAM to your computer. To see if you need more RAM, initialize the

Windows Task Manager by pressing CTRL + ALT + DELETE. Under the

Performance tab, find the area devoted to Physical Memory (MB). If the number next to

Available is less than 25% of the Total MB, you may need to add RAM.[16]

Adding more memory may not necessarily make your computer run faster. If your

computer is slow to switch between windows or tasks, or if you often have many

browser tabs open at once, additional RAM may help.[17]

You can take your computer to an expert to add RAM, like the Geek Squad at Best

Buy, or you may decideadd more RAM yourself. Just be sure to do your research

before attempting to do it on your own.

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Remove gadgets you don't use. Right-click on the desktop and click Gadgets.

Right-click on the gadget you wish to delete and click Uninstall.[18]

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Check your hard disk space. Go to the Apple menu (the Apple icon in the upper

left corner of your screen) and select About This Mac. Click the More Info button

and select the Storage tab. This will show you how much free space you have on your hard

disk and will also break down your current usage, showing you how much space is used by

your movie, music, photo, and app files.[19]

Learning what type of files are taking up the most space will give you a starting

point for what you should remove (either by deleting or moving to external storage).

If you find that your massive music collection is taking up almost all of your space,

you can solve your problem quickly by transferring your iTunes library onto an

external drive.

Try to keep at least 15% of your drive free so that your computer can run general

maintenance.[20]

If you never seem to have enough space on your hard disk, consider buying and

installing a Solid-State Drive (SSD). They are generally sturdier and run much

faster than hard drives, so your computer will zip along like new.[21]

Use your Activity Monitor to find out which applications are using the most

memory. Go to Library > Applications > Utilities and launch the Activity Monitor.

Select the % CPU column and see which programs are at the top. If it is using anything

over 50%, running that program may be slowing everything down.[22]

If you discover that one particular application is slowing down your Central

Processing Unit (CPU), you can speed things up by deleting that application and

using a faster alternative, or closing all other programs every time you use that

application.

The web browser Safari is often at the top of the list for CPU. Consider switching

to a different browser, like Firefox or Chrome.[23]

Uninstall unnecessary programs. You can either uninstall them manually by

dragging apps into the trash or download a program to help you sort and delete them.[24] iMovie, Garage Band and iPhoto are large programs that many people don't use, and

are a good place to start.

When in doubt, don't remove anything you dont recognize: it may be critical to the

function of your computer or another application.

Delete, compress, or remove large and unnecessary files. You can search for

large files by opening Finder and pressing Command+F to search. Click on the

button that says Kind and select Other. Scroll down to where it says Size and check the

box to include it In Menu and click OK. Once that is done, you can search for large files--try

Method 2 of 2: Macintosh

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files greater than 200 MB to begin with. Delete, compress, or move any files you want to

save to your back up drive.

To compress something, click the item while holding down the Ctrl button and

choose Compress. Double-clicking the zip file will decompress the item.

Open the Downloads folder. Make sure you are viewing files as a list and then

click on the Size header so that your largest files are on top. Get rid of anything

you don't need.[25]

Movies are generally the largest files--they can be between 1-2GB. This will add up

quickly if you have multiple movies downloaded onto your computer or have

downloaded a few seasons of a TV show. Consider removing anything you are not

watching.[26]

Remember to empty your trash bin. If you delete photos in iPhoto or Aperture, you

must empty the trash bin that exists in that program, or else the files will not be

deleted.[27]

Prevent unnecessary programs from starting when the Mac boots. The more

programs trying to start up while your computer initializes, the slower everything will

be. From the Apple Menu, go to System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items. Select

any items you dont need and click the minus (-) sign to remove them.

Clearing your desktop of icons will also speed up the process, as the computer

must load these items when starting up. Move the files on your desktop into folders

or delete icons, and try not to download things directly to your desktop. [28]

Repair disk permissions. Go to Applications > Utilities > Run Disk Utility and

select your startup disk. Then select First Aid and click Repair Disk Permissions. In

running this procedure, your computer will search the permission settings on your hard drive

to make sure files are accessible only to the users and applications that have permission to

do so.[29]

If your disk permissions are not properly set, you may have trouble with some of

the basic operations on your computer, such as printing, logging in, or opening

programs.[30]

It is suggested you run this procedure every few months to catch any potential

issues before they interfere with your computer usage.[31]

Always restart your computer after running disk repair.

Remove unnecessary dashboard widgets. Even if you dont have the dashboard

activated, these widgets can eat up RAM by running background updates while you

try to do other things.

If you have OS X 10.4.2 or later, use the Widget Manager: go to the Dashboard

and open the Widget Bar by clicking the plus (+) sign in the corner; click Manage

Widgets and then either deselect widgets to disable them or, if theyre third-party

widgets, remove them completely by pressing the red delete button, which is a

circle with a line through it, and click OK to confirm.

If you use Mac OS X, download a free program called Monolingual. With OS X,

much of your computers hard disk is devoted to virtual memory and gets eaten up by

language-availability software. Monolingual will allow you to remove languages you dont

use on in order to free up space.

No matter which language you use, never delete the English language files. Doing

so may cause OS X to malfunction.[32]

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Add more RAM to your computer. This may be especially helpful if your computer

is slow opening applications or switching between running programs.[33] To see if you

need more RAM, open the Activity Monitor (Library > Applications > Utilities) and click

System Memory. Look at the colors of the pie chart: if it's mostly green and blue, your

RAM is fine. If the pie chart is mostly red and yellow, you should consider installing more

RAM.[34]

To see what kind of RAM your Mac uses, go to the Apple menu, About This Mac,

and click on More Info. In Hardware, under Memory, you can find the memory,

size and type of RAM your computer uses.[35]

If you choose to install the RAM yourself, search for "RAM" and your computer type

on the Apple support page. Apple provides instructions for installing RAM on many

of its computers. [36]

Can you tell us about

Clothing

Stains?


rabbit traps?


Starbucks

Coffee?


IPhone?

A clean install of the operating system will make your pc run much faster,

but will erase all your files.

As a general rule, it is best not to fiddle with anything you are not sure

about. Try reading through several guides on the web to understand

what you are doing before you attempt anything.

It is best to create a System Restore point before you uninstall any

programs or make any changes, so you can revert your computer back

to a safe point if anything goes wrong.

Tips

Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No

We could really use your help!

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Never delete system32 files on Windows. These are critical to

running the operating system correctly and you will be unable to use your

computer.

1. http://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/five-tips-to-speed-up-your-mac/

2. http://www.cnet.com/news/top-external-storage-devices-backing-up-is-

a-personal-matter/

3. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp

4. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-restart-your-mac.html

5. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/whats-new-in-

managing-power-settings

6. http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/learn-how-use-windows-

registry-editor-regedit-one-easy-lesson.htm

7. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/optimize-windows-better-

performance#optimize-windows-better-performance=windows-7

8. http://www.cnet.com/news/flame-virus-can-hijack-pcs-by-spoofing-

windows-update/



10. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/start-disk-cleanup

11. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/start-disk-cleanup

12. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/improve-performance-

defragmenting-hard-disk#1TC=windows-7

13. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/improve-performance-

defragmenting-hard-disk#1TC=windows-7





16. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2691193/do-the-research-before-you-

upgrade-your-ram.html

17. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/pc-upgrades/should-i-boost-my-

pcs-memory-3464779/

18. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/desktop-gadgets-

frequently-asked-questions

19. http://www.cnet.com/news/options-for-checking-free-hard-drive-space-

Warnings

Sources and Citations

in-os-x/

20. http://macs.about.com/od/faq1/f/How-Much-Free-Drive-Space-Do-I-

Need.htm

21. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404258,00.asp

22. http://www.macworld.com/article/2026650/mac-troubleshooting-what-

to-do-when-your-computer-is-too-slow.html#tk.nl_mwhelp

23. http://www.macworld.com/article/2026650/mac-troubleshooting-what-

to-do-when-your-computer-is-too-slow.html#tk.nl_mwhelp

24. http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/ask-how-remove-unwanted-apps

25. http://www.macworld.com/article/2599241/how-to-free-up-space-on-a-

packed-hard-drive.html

26. http://www.cnet.com/news/options-for-checking-free-hard-drive-space-

in-os-x/

27. http://www.macworld.com/article/2599241/how-to-free-up-space-on-a-

packed-hard-drive.html

28. http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/ways-to-speed-up-mac

29. http://www.macworld.com/article/1052220/repairpermissions.html



32. https://ingmarstein.github.io/Monolingual/faq.html

33. http://www.macworld.com/article/1049263/speedram.html




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