How to Fix Basic Computer Problems

Sometimes when your computer is slow or acting strangely it is hard to figure out exactly what is wrong with it. There are often several different problems with your computer at the same time that you have to discover to fix it. Here is a step by step guide to help you fix your most basic computer problems you may find on your home computer.

The first thing you need to do is to clean out any unwanted files with disk cleaner software. This will sort through your entire hard drive and eliminate anything that is not needed. By using disk cleaner software you create more room on your RAM so the computer can run faster and there is less of a chance of corrupted data infecting your computer. You can find this software over the internet or in your systems tools. Just go to Start, Accessories, System Tools, and Disk Cleanup.

If you have ever been connected to the internet on the computer you will have to run a full system scan for spyware, adware, and viruses. These can slow down your computer or cause it to act very strangely. The full system scan takes a little bit of time, but it must be done to ensure that your system will work efficiently.

Defragmenting your hard drive is the next step you need to take. When you defragment your hard drive you are allowing the computer to organize the information so it is easier to process. A defragmenting program is built into every computer and you can find it under the system tools as well. You should defragment your computer about once every other month to keep it organized.

Do you have a lot of programs on your computer that you don’t need? Uninstall programs and delete files that you don’t need any more to get more room on your hard drive. This also helps reduce the start up time on your computer. Make sure that you disable certain applications that you don’t want to run with the startup. Be careful, however, as you have to know which programs can be safely disabled. There will be necessary startup programs on the disabling feature that your computer cannot function without.

Now that your computer is all cleaned up and organized it’s time to investigate your security software. Many times people shut down their anti-virus protection because it slows down their computers. Other times people will choose to not install or update their security programs when new versions come along. This is welcoming all sorts of viruses to infect your computer and cause more problems. Make sure that you find anti-virus, spyware, and firewall programs that are up to date and compatible with your computer’s operating system. Also check to be sure that your computer doesn’t have several types of the same anti-virus protection running at once, as this can cause the system to slow down.

After you have completed this process you should have been able to rid your computer from many basic problems and ensure that it stays problem-free in the future. If however, your computer is still acting slow you may have to buy more RAM. It is always best to buy a computer that has more than enough RAM for your needs. Otherwise you may end up spending a lot of extra money.