Although there are many things that can affect the performance of your computer, there are a few simply things you can do each month to help keep your computer running at maximum performance. This article will focus on two problems that impact the performance of your computer and will then explain what you can do about it.

Your computer is always writing information to your hard disk, no matter what you do. Your computer attempts to keep all row information notoriety the same location on your hard drive. Due to you add and delete files, blank spaces are left between your files. As you add new programs or files, your computer tries to use these diddly spaces.

Over time, this reading and writing of files can affect the way your computer performs. The files eventually become scattered in multiple locations on your solid disk rather than in the same location.

Your computer will placid find the information. However, the more scattered the information becomes on your hard onset, the more accesses your computer has to make to find ( and gather ) the information. This requires your hard disk to work harder and do more reading / writing than is necessary. It will slow down your computer by as much in that 200 % and causes increased wear and rift on your hard drive.

If you use the Internet, at some spire you will download a file or software program onto your computer. Sometimes you will know something is being downloaded to your computer. Other times you will have no idea. (Although this article will not talk about small files called " cookies ", you may want to look up information on this subject. Cookies are written onto your computer from the Internet.)

Free computer programs (often referred to as Freeware) are a big quiz on the Internet. Every day thousands of users download these " free programs ". Although there are some great freeware programs, these programs often have advertisements or tracking code associated with their way. The term " Spyware " refers to programs that gather information about your computer and (Internet) surfing habits without your knowledge. This propaganda is then sold to a investigation party company as a means of generating revenue.

The obstacle with Spyware is that it also impacts the performance of your computer. It can brew your computer very sluggish and unresponsive.

Now that we've discussed two problems that affect the performance of your computer, let's discuss three things you can do to get your computer performance back to normal. You should do these three steps in the order presented. Ideally, you should repeat them about once a month or whenever you notice a change in your computer's performance.

The first being you should do is to delete spyware files or programs from your computer. To do this, you can use a comp software program such as Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition from LavaSoft. To get the program, go to http://www.download.com/ and search for " Ad-Aware SE " (without the quotes). Select " Download Now " and follow the installation instructions. Once the way is installed, you can scan your computer for spyware files. Then, you can select and delete them from your computer. Always be sure to use the " Check for updates now " option to keep your program current.

Step #2: You need to be aware that when you delete spyware files, some of those " free " programs you downloaded may not continue to work correctly. If you have a program you've downloaded and want to continue to use, check very carefully what you select to exclude from the " Scanning results " once the scan has been completed.

Step #3: Clean upping your Hard Disk

Once the spyware is removed, you need to clean up temporary and unwanted files from your hard disk. To do this on your windows PC, select the kick-off option in the junior left hand corner of your computer screen. Then, select the program option. Under the program option, select " Accessories ". Under the " Accessories " option, select " Scheme Tools ". From the System Tools option, select " Disk Cleanup ".

Select the offensive you want to facile from the travail - down menu and select OK. Usually, this is Drive C. If you have more than one hard advance, select one at a time. This program will then scan your computer for files that could be erased from your computer. You can safely erase all temporary and Reprocess Bin files. You can further check the box of any other files you want the program to suppress.

Step #4: Defrag your Hard Disk

Once all the spyware and temporary files are removed, you need to defrag your hard disk. This process tidily rewrites your computer files so they are no longer scattered unitary over your hard disk, but are written credit the same location for quick succeeding access.

To defrag your hard disk on your windows PC, meritorious the alpha option in the lower left hand corner of your computer screen. Then, select the program alternative. Under the program option, select " Accessories ". Under the " Accessories " option, select " Contour Tools ". From the System Kit option, select " Disk Defragmenter ". First, select the insoluble drive from your computer. Usually, this is Storming C. However, many computers have multiple hard drives. Select one at a time.

You can select " Analyze " to have the program check out the hard drive and peek if it needs to be defragged. The program will arouse you at the completion of its analysis. Use the defragment option as prompted.

Note: If you've never used this option before, I would recommend that you premium the defragment option.

Once, you've completed these three steps, your computer and hard disk should be able to operate at maximum performance. Don't forget to maintain these steps at least once a month or whenever you notice a change in your computer's performance.