Have you ever noticed how your computer seems to get slower and slower over time, and develop more and more problems as you use it?
For most computer users, this is the common experience. We buy a computer, it runs like lightning for a while, then it starts to slow down. And within a couple of years, it seems like it has to grind away to get anything done at all.
So why is this? And what can you do about it?
Well, there are a number of reasons for this and there are some things you can do to help (and some things you can do that SEEM like they might help, and actually make things WORSE – I’ll come back to this.)
When you get a new computer, it’s usually not too cluttered up with garbage files. I say not “too” cluttered up because every major computer manufacturer now preloads some garbage right from the factory. This takes two forms: 1) The manufacturer loads extra software in addition to the basic Windows operating system for whatever reason (usually to generate revenue in one form or another), and, 2) The manufacturer charges OTHER software companies to load their junky software onto the new computers before they ship out to the end user – you.
Basically, the price tag of the computer is subsidized by this junk software which is put on the computer with the hope that at some point you’ll buy something (ie: trial versions of software you can purchase; like antivirus, games, etc.) The point being, the computer can now be sold at a lower price because it has all this junk loaded on it. Good for marketing – bad for you.
Keep this in mind the next time you see a super-cheap laptop at the local superstore – often, the cheaper the computer, the more junk comes preloaded. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. And those preloaded programs are pretty much never useful.
But on top of this initial factory-installed software, there isn’t much else on the computer.
Then, as you start installing programs, using the internet (and picking up spyware), loading updates as they become available, etc., the computer starts getting bogged down.
And thus begins the steady decline of your new computer’s performance.
To make matters worse, the common assumption is that if you uninstall a program it will speed the computer back up – but this isn’t entirely true. Once a program has been installed, it usually leaves behind some “residue” even after being uninstalled. So over time, this residue builds up and starts clogging up the works. The techie-term for this is “Registry Bloat” – which refers to important Windows system files that get larger and larger as time goes on, thus irreversibly bogging down the computer.
And yet, despite all this, there are some basic things you can do to keep your computer running like new for many years. And, as I said earlier, there are some common mistakes people make that tend to make matters worse.
Next week I’ll elaborate on these DOs and DON’Ts of computer use to help you keep your computer running properly for a long time – so be sure to check your email next week for some useful tips.