Imagine this… you sit down at work ready to be productive and efficient all day and your computer is as slow as molasses. So much for productivity when files take (what seems like) forever to open, or your computer sounds like it’s ready to take flight. Thankfully, there are some simple tricks you can try to make your computer work better and faster in general and get it up to the speed you are accustomed to. To start with, evaluate the age of your computer. Have you had the same device for several years? If so, you may need to talk to your IT department about the estimated lifespan and when it should be replaced before you put time and effort into resolving your speed or efficiency issues. If your computer is relatively new, there are a few tips that you can try before you get too frustrated and consider dropping out the nearest window. Here are just a couple tricks of the trade that could help.
Close Unused Tabs
I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to keeping tabs that I may need open for extended periods of time. If you have a string of tabs open your computer can slow to a crawl in terms of preferred speeds. While it may seem convenient to leave a few tabs open, they are potentially running processes that can slow the entire computer down when you attempt to open even more. Try closing tabs that you won’t need immediately, or put them in a bookmarked location to access them faster without clogging up your device.
Uninstall Unneeded Programs
Browse through the current programs you have on your computer and evaluate whether you really need them all. They could be bogging down your computer. Uninstall them if you have not used them in the past six months or so. On a Mac this can be done by dragging the app to the trash. On a PC a similar process of going to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs/Uninstall a Program.
Update, Update, Update
Stop ignoring the software update notifications. Those simple updates not only will secure your computer better, but will make it work more efficiently.
Shut Down/Restart Regularly
When was the last time you shut down or restarted your device? If you can’t remember, then it’s about time to do so. Doing this regularly allows it to clear temporary files and start fresh. We know it’s not as convenient as leaving your computer in hibernate mode but the health of your device requires that you do this action at least once a week.
Organize Your Files
From the files visible on your desktop to those larger ones taking up space in your memory, it is a good idea to take time once a week or so to clean out files, especially larger ones that are no longer needed. According to IEEE Computer Society, “Images and videos tend to be major space hogs, so consider deleting them, storing them on an external hard drive, or uploading them to a cloud storage surface.”A few minutes a week is all it takes to keep your computer running at the speed you need to be productive and efficient. For more questions regarding computer speeds contact us.
