Five Simple Tips to Improve Your Computer’s Performance

Is your computer not running as well as it used to? Are web apps loading slower than you’d like? Are you seeing “not responding” or the “spinning beachball” more often that you used to?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, I have five simple tips for you to try. None of these require any technical skill and can be done in minutes. Give them a try and see if your computer runs a little bit better afterwards.

  • Delete unnecessary files.
    • The downloads folders and documents folder often have files you don’t need anymore.
  • Run those updates you’ve been ignoring.
  • Disable auto-start for programs you don’t need every day.
    • You can usually do this in the settings for the program and or in your start-up menu.
  • Turn off programs running in the background.
    • You probably don’t need to keep those seven shopping tabs open nor are you likely to need to keep the Zoom client running at all times.
  • Turn it off, turn it back on!
    • There’s a reason every IT help desk asks you to do this. It often fixes a lot of simple problems. Give it a try!

Get a Poster of These Tips

Would you like to plaster the walls of your IT office, your library, or your media center with these tips? If so, download a PDF of these tips below.