Having a computer that runs slowly or seems to be slowing down can be irritating. A slow computer does more than cause annoyance, it can reduce your production levels and waste a lot of your time. Bringing a smile back to you face can be done by doing a few straightforward things that can help fix a slow computer.

Defragging

Defragmenting your hard drive is one of the ways to fix a slow computer. As a system ages the file system is less able to layout data on the hard drive in a unbroken sequence. A file will get spread out over the hard drive and require the disk head to move more in order to read the data. The increased movement of the head results in a slower computer.

Windows comes with its own Disk Defragmenter tool. To run the defragment tool begin at the Start Menu, click on Programs (or All Programs), select Accessories and finally System Tools. Locate the Disk Defragmenter tool and select it. The disk defragmentation procedure can be started once the program is up and running.

The process may take some time and can slow your computer down while it is running. You may want to start this procedure at night before heading off to bed or when you are not planning on using the computer as it may take a bit of time to complete.

Deleting Temporary Files

You may not realize it but temporary files slow down your computer. Hard drive space can be freed up by deleting temporary files which can fix a slow computer. The Disk Cleanup tool that comes with Windows can be used to delete temporary files. To run the tool begin at the Start Menu, click on Programs (or All Programs), choose Accessories and finally System Tools. Locate the Disk Cleanup Tool and pick it. You can then select the drive you want to clean up and run the program. The temporary files can be removed by following the instructions on the screen.

Remove Unused Applications

Even more hard drive space can be opened up by deleting any unused programs. Go to the Control Panel and use the Add or Remove Programs tool (in Windows Vista this is under Programs and Features) and remove the applications you no longer use. You may want to leave any applications that you are unsure of rather than removing something that your computer might need.

Clean Up The Registry

The settings on your computer are kept in a database called the system registry (or Windows registry).These consist of hardware settings, options for the operating system, application settings and user settings.

The last thing to look at on your computer is the system registry and you can get free programs on-line that will scan it for you. If you have freezing or crashing computer applications or other operating system related errors, correcting registry problems can help to resolve these and will also to fix a slow computer. These programs will determine the steps needed to repair and optimize your computer to help improve stability and speed.