How to improve business productivity in less than 15 minutes

Business productivity is increasingly reliant on the response times of computers, yet most users cannot easily optimize their computers and the IT department often requires to be reminded of the simple tasks, which can make a real difference to the average computer user. There are many ways to optimize a computer and this article covers simple steps to make any computer faster quickly. Implementing step 1 or step 2 should take no more than 15 minutes and will work for both PCs and Macs.

Step 1 -  Clean the computer registry

Slow computers often have errors in their registry. The registry is comparable to a nervous system. Its main function is to connect software hardware and computer files. Errors often lead to the corruption of the registry, and reduce the computer speed . A simple step is to locate then repair the errors in the registry. Users can in theory attempt a manual cleanup of the registry, however this is not recommended due to the high likelihood of further errors occuring. Using a registry cleaner software is a faster, more reliable option to eliminate errors, redundant files, incorrect links and deal with ActiveX components. Click on fix computer registry for more information.

Step 2 – Delete and block adware and spyware

Another common reason leading to computers slowing-down, is the large number of spyware and adware, which are downloaded from the Internet, often without the users knowledge. This happens particularly often, when peer to peer networks are being used to download music and videos for example. A simple solution to make any computer faster is to run an anti spyware or adware program to scan, remove then block these unwanted malware. It helps to test the relevant anti spyware or adware program by downloading a trial version as most of them are free. Among the key features to consider are Ease of Download and Simplicity of Use, Automatic Backup, Quality of Customer Service, and of course the overall effectiveness of the software. The best software tend to be the simplest to use and rely on a research capability that constantly updates the software for new threats. Click on best adware spyware removal for more information.

Step 3 – Eliminate viruses

Unsurprisingly many computer viruses can slow down computers and drive down response times. The problem with many viruses is not only the damage they cause to computer files but also the amount of resources which they use and waste, for example RAM and disk space. In order to overcome these problems, as well as optimise performance, users should run the latest version of the best anti-virus programs. In the end, they will also be in a stronger position to improve their computer performance.

Step 4 – Simple housekeeping tasks

There are many simple housekeeping tasks which can be done to improve the speed of any computer, for example uninstalling any software that is not needed.  Alternatively, stopping programs to launch automatically can also improve the performance of any computer. These simple tasks generally produce marginal improvements.

Step 5 – Optimise the Hard disk

For hard disks which are smaller than 2GB then at least 200MB of disk should be kept free and at least 500MB for larger hard disks. The amount of free space on the hard drive is a key factor of performance as it is used by temporary files needed by software to run. This free space also enables your computer to swap files as the computers starts using virtual memory (when it runs out of RAM). In that event, unless sufficient  space is free on the hard disk, the system slows down significantly. Disk scanning programs such as Scandisk for Windows help scan for errors on the hard disk itself. For instance, your hard disk may be large enough but too fragmented and some disk sectors may have been damaged. Running a defragmentation program is another step that can be completed to improve  the speed of any computer.

Step 6 – Optimising the RAM

Some programs are poorly designed and do not release RAM resources after they are closed. This reduces the amount of memory available for other programs. Computers frequently run out of RAM after a while. In order to overcome this, ugrading the RAM is probably necessary. An alternative free option is simply to not run some computer programs at the same time as each other.

Step 7 – Stop the computer from overheating

Faulty fans are a common cause leading to the computer overheating, slowing down then freezing as a result. The best solution is often to replace the fan, this overcomes the problem by increasing the air flow through the computer thereby reducing its temperature and ultimately improving reponse times.

For more information click on how to make my computer faster.