Before you pay a professional or purchase extra utility software, try these free and easy steps.
OfficeMax303-277-1214
14275 West Colfax Avenue Golden, CO OfficeMax 303-277-1214
14275 West Colfax Avenue
Golden, CO
Hours M-F 8-9, Sa 9-8, Su 10-6*
OfficeMax303-758-3767
2730 S. Colorado Boulevard Denver, CO OfficeMax 303-758-3767
2730 S. Colorado Boulevard
Denver, CO
Hours M-F 8-9, Sa 9-8, Su 10-6*
OfficeMax303-371-4119
8564 E 49th Avenue Denver, CO OfficeMax 303-371-4119
8564 E 49th Avenue
Denver, CO
Hours M-F 8-9, Sa 9-8, Su 10-6*
Staples303-278-4258
16630 West Colfax Golden, CO Staples 303-278-4258
16630 West Colfax
Golden, CO
Recycling Services Recycling Desk $3 Ink & Toner Credit Hours Mon-Fri: 8:00am-8:00pm Sat: 9:00am-7:00pm Sun :10:00am-6:00pm
Staples303-759-3127
6435 E. Hampden Avenue Denver, CO Staples 303-759-3127
6435 E. Hampden Avenue
Denver, CO
Recycling Services Recycling Desk $3 Ink & Toner Credit Hours Mon-Fri: 8:00am-8:00pm Sat: 9:00am-7:00pm Sun :10:00am-6:00pm
Apple Store Twenty Ninth Street(720) 479-9451
1755 29th St Boulder, CO Apple Store Twenty Ninth Street (720) 479-9451
1755 29th St
Boulder, CO
Services Design/Publishing, Video/Multimedia, Web Solutions/Internet, Carry-in Service (Mac Only)
OfficeMax970-482-1643
2211 South College Ave. Unit #500 Fort Collins, CO OfficeMax 970-482-1643
2211 South College Ave. Unit #500
Fort Collins, CO
Hours M-F 8-9, Sa 9-7, Su 11-6*
OfficeMax720-733-1942
5650 Allen Way, Suite 110 Castle Rock, CO OfficeMax 720-733-1942
5650 Allen Way, Suite 110
Castle Rock, CO
Hours M-F 8-9, Sa 9-8, Su 10-6*
Staples303-444-0575
1601 29th St. Suite 1292 Boulder, CO Staples 303-444-0575
1601 29th St. Suite 1292
Boulder, CO
Recycling Services Recycling Desk $3 Ink & Toner Credit Hours Mon-Fri: 8:00am-9:00pm Sat: 9:00am-7:00pm Sun :10:00am-6:00pm
Staples720-887-2497
5150 W 120th Ave. Suite 100 Westminster, CO Staples 720-887-2497
5150 W 120th Ave. Suite 100
Westminster, CO
Recycling Services Recycling Desk $3 Ink & Toner Credit Hours Mon-Fri: 8:00am-9:00pm Sat: 9:00am-7:00pm Sun :10:00am-6:00pm
|
Steps
- Run Microsoft Update. Go to START -> All Programs -> Windows Update and install any updates your computer needs.
- Make sure your drivers are up-to-date. Go to START -> Control Panel. Click on Classic View if available. Open the System properties and select the Hardware tab. Click on Device Manager. Now go through each folder, right-click each item, and select Update Driver if available.
- Update any anti-spyware or anti-virus programs. If you don't have these programs, see the bottom of this page for a list of free anti-spyware and anti-virus programs.
- Run your anti-spyware and anti-virus programs. Remove any spyware or viruses that are detected.
- Clean up your registry. This is made extremely simple with the use of a program such as Crap Cleaner (see below).
- Remove any programs that run at startup. Some of these are necessary, others are not. You can go to START -> Run and enter msconfig to run a utility to remove these.
- Uninstall any programs you do not use or need. It is best to uninstall programs prior to a defragmentation, as the newly-acquired free space will generally be located all over the hard drive, thereby giving rise to fragmentation.
- Defragment your computer.
Warnings
- If you are unsure what a program is, don't remove it until you know for sure whether you need it or not. Also, don't go into your registry and clean it on your own unless you know what you are doing; you can really screw up your system this way.
Sources and Citations
- http://www.DeBog.com Speed up slow computer
- Free spyware removers: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html AND http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
- Free virus removers: http://free.grisoft.com
- Crap Cleaner: http://ccleaner.com
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Speed Up Any Computer Using Any Version of Windows. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.