When you've decided that your computer needs more memory to work better for you, you might decide to save money by installing the memory yourself. This is a wise decision and in many cases, it's also quite simple for a home user to do on their own. All you need to do is follow these three steps to make sure the installation goes smoothly and no computers are harmed in the process.

Step One: Find Out What You Can Install

Many of us have grand ideas of adding many GB to our hard drives, but the truth is that our computer may not be able to handle that kind of power. If you end up installing the wrong amount of memory, you might permanently damage your computer as well as be stuck with extra memory that can not be returned to the retailer.

To determine the amount of memory you can install on your PC, you will want to go to the My Computer folder on your main screen. Here, you will find an icon that you should right click. At that point, you will get a screen that says something like System Information (it depends on the operating system you have). Here, there will be some numbers associated with your computer. You should be able to find the overall memory storage count in this box. If it's higher than what you currently have on your hard drive, this means you have 'room' to install more memory.

If the number of not higher, you might want to call your computer retailer as there may be another place where you should be looking for the memory total. Some computers require that you look elsewhere.

When you do find this number, you will want to write down the different between the two numbers - that's the memory you can install.

Step Two: Talk to Your Computer's Support Desk or Go to their Website

Here, you will be able to find out if you need to buy only one memory stick or if you need to buy two memory sticks for your computer. Have your computer's service tag written down next to the phone or the computer's model number on hand. The help desk will then be able to look up the specifications for your specific system and tell you what you can and can not do.

If you don't want to do this, you can always open up your computer to find out what you need to buy. Turn off your computer and everything that's plugged into the computer. Then, make sure to remove the power strip's plug from the outlet as well. Taking the tower and turning it around carefully, you will need to look for the way to open up this part of your computer - refer to your computer's operating manual for specific details.

When you open up the tower, you will see a few wires and way in the back a few slots where there are pieces of memory chips. Those that are sticking out are the ones that are already filled. You should count to see how many there are empty, if any. If there are two, and you have the ability to put in 2GB of memory in your computer, you will actually need to buy two sticks of memory that are 1GB each.

You will be taking out the old memory sticks in the process and it's essential that you keep the slots even in order for the memory to work correctly.

Step Three: Installing the Easy Way

By following the instructions that come with your memory sticks, you will be able to install the memory quickly and easily. Here are some tips:

Turn everything off

Unplug everything from the outlet

Press the power button again to discharge any remaining electricity

After opening up the tower, touch a piece of metal in the tower to discharge any static electricity from your hands

Take out the memory from the package without getting any finger oils on it - touch it only on the sides if you must

Take out the old memory by carefully pulling the tabs away from the edges (see your computer for specific instructions)

Place the memory into the slots until you hear a click. The tabs should close on their own without your help

Replace the tower pieces and plus the system back in

If you have done everything right, your computer should start right back up the way it did before you installed the memory.

If you hear beeping when you turn on your computer, turn everything off again and see if the memory sticks area pushed all the way into their slots.

If you still get error messages, you will want to call your computer's help desk for further guidance.