Whether you’re trying to open an important document or surfing the net for movie times, baseball scores or adult entertainment, nothing is more annoying than a snail-paced computer that can’t keep up with your fingertips. Because you can’t just give your PC a cup of java, we’ve come with a few surefire strategies to get your computer working faster and more efficiently both online and off.

Often your computer speed is linked to the health of your computer, and we’re not just talking about viruses. But instead of taking your computer to the doctor you can try these strategies at home first. Most of you likely know of the damage viruses can do to your computer and the anti-virus software that can protect your computer from them. If you don’t you need to start taking notice, as these little suckers can run amuck on your hard drive. Few of you know, however, about the internal diseases that can manifest, most commonly the disease of fragmentation, which like most illnesses gets worse when not treated.

Fragmentation is basically something that occurs when you modify old files, slowing the retrieval of documents, the booting of programs as well as your Internet connection. You can install defragmentation software to help you correct the problem. Also try clearing out your recycling bin, which may be packed with files long forgotten. In some computers, defragmentation is as simple as clicking the pre-installed software in your system tools.


A slow Internet speed can also signal possible viruses. To increase the speed of your connection, you can perform maintenance on your computer via your local store or repair shop, but at home you can utilize cache or temporary files, reset your home network, perform updates on your software, run virus protection software, increase your RAM or call your ISP. But don’t expect dial up to be fast. That may be a problem you can only fix with dollars and cents.