30 tips to help you get your PC back up to its original speed

Despite all the technical wizardry found in modern PCs, sluggish performance is still one of the most common complaints. And the problem usually lies in the software rather than the hardware itself.

In most cases the cause can be found and fixed quickly and easily. In practice, though, it is not always that simple. While anyone can change a menu setting, knowing which one needs a tweak isn’t always obvious. Windows (XP in particular) isn’t good at maintaining itself, either, leading to noticeable speed drops over time.

The good news is that many common problems can be sorted out with a little expert help, and this collection of 30 software and hardware tips will help you put a spring back into your PC’s step.

HARDWARE

1. Add more memory
Most of our tips cost nothing. However, we will kick off with one cheap upgrade that’s guaranteed to boost performance – adding more memory.

As long as there are no underlying software problems, upgrading a PC’s memory will make Windows more responsive, programs quicker to load and reduce unnecessary hard disk activity.

We recommend 2GB as a minimum amount and with memory modules priced at around £10-£15 per gigabyte, this is an affordable upgrade for many.

Use a reputable website such as Crucial or Kingston to find the right memory.

For more help, read our step-by-step guide How to install more memory in a PC.

 

2. Defragment hard disks
Over time files can become fragmented, leading to slow performance. To fix this, defragment your hard disk regularly.

A built-in tool runs once a week in Windows 7 and Vista, but if you want to change the schedule type defragment in the Start search box.

Alternatively, in XP right-click a drive and click Properties, then choose Tools. Auslogics Disk Defrag and Defraggler are better and free.

Never defragment USB memory keys or solid-state drives (SSDs), though – they don’t need it and the process can damage them.

3. Enable Readyboost
If your PC has 1GB or less of memory, Windows 7 and Vista have a feature called Readyboost that can improve hard disk performance. Readyboost uses a USB memory key (it needs to have at least 512MB of available space to be effective), and it can give a small but welcome boost for disk-intensive tasks in older PCs.

Slot in a memory key, locate it in Windows Explorer, right-click its icon and choose Properties. Click the Readyboost tab and choose the ‘Dedicate this device to Readyboost’ radio button

4. Enable disk caching
To protect files and folders, Windows is conservative with the way it writes data to the hard disk. But there is little risk in enabling disk caching to improve performance (though if the power cuts unexpectedly, some data loss may occur).

To do this, press the Windows key and R, type devmgmt.msc in the box and press Enter. Expand the Disk Drives section, double-click on the hard disk’s entry and click the Policies tab. Ensure all the boxes are ticked on this page (they are labelled differently in each Windows version) and click OK. Don’t do this for USB drives, though.

5. Replace network cables
Broadband users often complain about unreliable or slow connections. For PCs connected directly to the router or modem via an Ethernet cable, there are a few worthwhile checks.

Network cables can be damaged by kinks, the connectors can break or get dirty. New cables are cheap, so it’s worth trying a new one before blaming the PC or internet service provider (ISP).

6. Clean ventilation grilles
Too much heat can make a PC slow down or, in extreme cases, stop altogether. Keeping any ventilation grilles clean and dust-free is the easiest way to ensure that heat inside a PC or notebook can escape.

Take a look around the PC to see if any grilles are dirty. Clean them with a soft brush or a can of compressed air – but don’t poke anything through the grilles. When you use a laptop, ensure no vents are covered up.