Computers run slow for a variety of reasons. Learning how to fix your slow computer is going to save you a lot of time and hassle. Here are some of the common reasons for a computer slow down and some things you can do to speed your pc up.

Cluttered hard drive: Over time your hard drive will get cluttered with partial files left over from moving and deleting files. Running disk cleanup and disk defragmenter can help clean your hard drive up and speed up your computer. You can access these programs in system tools by clicking Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools.

Spyware: This is a small file that commonly comes attached to a download and runs in the background, usually without you knowing it. Not only can spyware slow down your computer, but it can cause some serious errors including computer freezes and shut downs. There are free anti spyware and spyware removal tools that can help you with this.

Running programs: Programs that you may have installed can sometimes run in the background without you knowing it. These programs are not necessarily spyware, but can be automatically running when you are not aware. If you press Ctrl, Alt, Delete at the same time, it will bring up the task manager and you can see what programs are running and manually stop them. If there are programs running in th background, I would suggest going into their options to see if there is an auto run option that can be turned off.

Registry Errors: Registry errors are common and are caused by changes in installed programs, hardware / driver changes, and internet downloads. There are free programs that can help you clean your registry and fix registry errors. Don't be fooled by programs that will scan your computer for free, but then want to charge you to actually fix the errors.

Slow Computer Prevention Tips:

Whenever you want to remove a program from your computer it is important that you use the add/ remove programs function in the control panel to make sure that every part of the program has been removed from your computer. This will help keep your hard drive clean from left over files that will slow your computer down even more.

Routinely running disk cleanup and disk defragmenter will keep your hard drive clean which will improve your pc's speed. Running these programs monthly is recommended; you can do this easily with the scheduled tasks program which can also be found in your system tools.