Category Archives: PC Speed Tips

Why is My Computer So Slow?

This is a question I recently got to my email account here at DomsTechBlog.com. This question makes for a great topic for a post. The simple answer is there are many things that can be making a computer run slow. Let’s take a look at the top reasons why your PC could be running slow and ways to remedy each problem.

Not Enough Memory

If your PC has less than 2GB of memory, than this is likely the cause or at least one of the causes of the slowness. Luckily, adding memory to your computer is a pretty simple thing to do. When it comes to buying the memory, I would recommend using the Crucial Memory Scanner since it will help you get the correct RAM for your PC. The RAM from Crucial is solidly made and their prices are reasonable as well. Here is a guide for installation as well. read more

Monthly PC Maintenance Schedule

Just like changing the oil on your car or replacing your furnace filters, your PC needs regular maintenance just like any other machine. In this guide, I will share my personal monthly maintenance schedule. You don’t need to follow it exactly, but it may help give you a good idea of what needs to be done to a computer to keep it in good working order.

Scan for Viruses, Malware, and Spyware

Viruses, Malware, and Spyware can really cause a lot of havoc if left unchecked. I try to run a scan every month at the very least. It may even be best to scan weekly or every other week. I would highly recommend setting up some type of automated schedule within your virus protection software so you don’t forget to do this. I like to schedule this scan for a time that I am away from my computer. For example, lunch on Friday is good for me as I am often away from my PC. This way, I not disrupted by the scan too much. read more

Disable Search Service in Windows 7 and 8

The Windows Search Service is the service in Windows 7 and 8 that replaced the Windows indexing service from previous versions of Windows. Essentially, the search service runs in the background and scans files and folders to record information about these files and folders.  Then, when you need to perform a file search, it should run much faster due to these records of information that Windows has compiled. However, this improved file search speed comes at a cost of WSS (Windows Search Service) constantly running in the background using system resources. If your computer has enough power, I would recommend leaving this service alone. However, if you are starting to notice that your PC is slowing down, disabling this service will help you to regain some speed. read more

Disabling Windows Startup Programs Can Speed Up Your PC

So, your computer seems to be getting slower and slower as time goes by. Over time, you have probably installed a ton of programs, tools, add-ons, etc. One tip to regain some PC speed and to speed up your startup times is to disable some of the programs that automatically startup when Windows starts. You can still use these programs, they just won’t automatically be loading every time you start your computer. This is a pretty easy thing to do to.

Use MSConfig To Change Windows Startup

Windows 7 and older versions of Windows such as XP and Vista come with a very handy tool that allows you to manage what starts up when Windows starts. This tool is the System Configuration tool or MSConfig. To run msconfig, simply click the Start button or Windows logo in the bottom left of your screen, type in “msconfig”, then hit enter. The system config tool will popup. To edit startup programs, click on the tab that is aptly labeled “Startup”. It will look like the picture below. read more

Windows ReadyBoost Versus Adding RAM

Windows ReadyBoost is a cool feature that is available in versions of Windows from Vista on. Basically, a USB flash drive is plugged in and then Windows can use the flash memory to increase its memory size. The reason this works is because the flash memory stick is slightly faster than your hard drive.

ReadyBoost with an SSD hard drive

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are using an SSD hard drive, using Windows Readyboost will not really help your PC’s speed. However, if you have an SSD drive as your main drive, I doubt that you will even need ReadyBoost since your PC will probably be pretty fast already. read more