When you get a brand new PC and boot it up for the first time, everything runs like clockwork – it's smooth, error free, and most of all – it is FAST. But over time, as you use that new PC and install and uninstall programs, create and delete files, and just generally use the machine for what it is intended for, you will notice it starting to slow down. Sometimes, it slows down considerably. And when that slow down happens, whether it'

s a process that happens bit by bit, over time, or all at once, you will start to long for the days of that brand new and speedy PC. But you don't have to go out and buy a whole new computer to get that quick PC back. You don't even have to take it in to an expensive computer repair shop to get it fixed. No – you can be your own IT and fix a slow computer yourself, and you don't need a pricey degree from the local computer repair school to do it, either!

Here are some handy tips you can use to improve Windows performance on even the oldest of computer systems:

 

1. Defrag your hard drive. Over time, as you install and uninstall programs and applications, your hard drive becomes fragmented. This means that bits of data and information are scattered all over the drive, and whenever your computer needs to use a program, it has to hunt all over the drive to find all the necessary parts. The more scattered the data, the longer this takes, and it slows down your computer's performance. Run the disk defragmenter utility regularly to move that data closer to where it belongs. You will find that doing this improves your computer's speeds.
2. Run the Disk Cleanup utility. If you are already regularly deleting your Temporary Internet Files and getting rid of junk you don't need, then you are on the right track, but there are other files on your hard drive that you don't need that aren't taken care of that way. To get rid of those files, run Disk Cleanup by right clicking on your hard drive in My Computer and accessing it through the Tools tab.
3. Delete some fonts. Yes, that's right – fonts. Whenever Windows loads, it has to load all of the fonts you have installed on your computer. This slows down your boot time considerably. Think about the fonts you have on your computer – do you actually use all of them? Fonts like Verdana, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Arial, Courier New, Trebuchet, and MS Sans Serif are necessary, but most of the others you have installed are not. You can delete them safely and improve the speed of your computer.