Getting to the root cause of why a computer is running slow requires some trial and error. This article brings together some best practices for fixing a slow computer through maintenance actions. A Reimage review is appended to show how PC repair software can be used to automate improvements to the registry and file system. Speeding up a PC by adding more RAM is not covered as this fails to remedy the root cause of performance problems (in fact, it masks the issues).

Once you have backed up your personal data, the following relatively unobtrusive actions can be taken to speed up a computer. Attempt each one then check the performance of your PC (using the Task Manager as a guide).

-    Keep 10% free disk space. If you have less than 10% then remove some unused applications so that Windows has enough disk space for regular processing.

-    Close unused applications. Even background applications hog processing/memory resources so should be closed down.

-    Reboot fully on a regular basis to clear out the RAM modules.

-    Run Windows Update to keep your device drivers up to date.

-    Defragment all hard drives. Fragmented files require more disk access time making regular applications slower to run.

-    Run your anti-virus scans on the full system. Trojan attacks can consume processing power if left running on your computer.

If the above steps fail to speed up the computer then it is time to resort to software such as Reimage to automate repairs. The Reimage review and repair software checks your registry for poorly set and missing keys that may be affecting performance. Keys can become fault through virus damage and general degradation as applications are installed or changed.

Reimage is also capable of repairing applications, device drivers and the operating system as it reviews the file system for faults and repairs problems using a data store of over 25 million files.

Maintaining the computer performance should be considered an ongoing task so it is worth completing the maintenance task on a scheduled basis to keep your system running like new.