Top Four Pc Speed Assassins
By Jeri Bleeker
Remember when your PC was spanking new and super-fast? Those were the days, when boot times were less than the time it takes to hard-boil an egg.

All computers slow down with use. After multiple downloads and installations, changes to files and system settings, and deleted digital photos, even a new PC will show premature signs of "age." The operating system begins to crash, start up and shutdown times lengthen, applications freeze. The frustrated PC owner may give up on an "old" computer with perfectly good hardware to purchase a brand new unit -- only to repeat the cycle.

Spyware, insufficient memory, and worn-out hardware are usually blamed for waning PC performance.

But while spyware's a factor in many PC slowdowns, it's rarely the only factor. And while your system may have loads of RAM, this won't make a difference if your system misallocates that RAM. As for the age of your hardware, there's no physical reason why it should run any slower than the day you bought it.

So what's the real issue behind all those PC slowdowns?

According to a recent analysis of over half a million computers, the top four PC speed killers are:

1. REGISTRY ERRORS, CLUTTER, AND FRAGMENTATION

Your Windows registry contains information for everything on your system, including user profiles, software settings, hardware configurations, and so on.

As you add and delete files, and install software, printers, and MP3 players, your registry fills with clutter and generates errors. Why? Because long after you've uninstalled a download, references to that download remain in the registry, leaving invalid paths for Windows. Whenever you start up, Windows tries to load all the missing drivers and applications still listed in the registry, making the boot process something like the hunt for specific phone numbers in a badly organized address book.

Compounding

the problem, your registry gets fragmented just like your hard drive. Since your registry has to be loaded into memory every time you start your computer, the bigger and more fragmented it is, the longer you'll wait for your PC to go through its paces.

2. HOGGING THE STARTER'S POSITION

Many applications partially load themselves every time you start your PC. It's a clever strategy, because preloaded programs seem more responsive when you launch them. But with so many programs starting at once and tapping system resources, the result is a performance bottleneck. You may want to preload one or two favorite programs at system startup, but not seldom-used applications.

3. BAD INTERNET SETTINGS

90 of all computers have hard drive errors that affect performance, and which may be data disasters just waiting to happen. Left unresolved, these errors can prevent you from saving or retrieving data. Worse, they may be signaling an imminent mechanical failure that could cost your all your data.

LIKE YOUR CAR, YOUR PC NEEDS TUNE-UPS

You may be wondering how all these PC problems can be fixed quickly, easily, and without running up a hefty service bill. The best answer is PC tune-up software that can automatically repair your registry, remove junk files, eliminate malware, defrag your hard drive, optimize your internet settings, and allow you to keep non-essential programs from running in the background.

While any quality PC Tune-up software will also offer advanced options for technical users, its preset, automated system maintenance gives non-experts exactly what they need to keep their aging computers running like new.

System Mechanic PC Tune-up Software: www.iolo.com/sm/7/std/