Is your computer driving you crazy because it is running so slowly? I have a few tips that will help the situation. Try one or more of these items and I bet you will be happy that you did:
Get rid of programs you don’t use or want
Tread lightly in this area, because you can accidentally erase something that makes your computer functional. However, you will be surprised how much free space you can free up by getting rid of unwanted programs on your machine from time to time. Here’s how:
Double click on “My Computer” and choose “Add or remove programs.”
(Optional) Sort the programs by size, forcing the largest ones to the top.
Think carefully about what you get rid of. Don’t delete anything used “frequently” or any Java, Adobe or Microsoft Service Pack items.” Items most elementary teachers can safely get rid of include the ChemPad Illustrator, any toolbars and any installers. If you have mistakenly downloaded Norton’s, Open Office or extra unwanted web browsers like Google Chrome, you safely remove them. If you are in doubt leave it for now and ask me.
Clean Up Junk Files and Get Rid Of Spyware
There are three utilities I use to clean up my computer. It might be over-kill to run all three all the time, but they each serve a unique purpose. The first one is called CCleaner and it cleans up your temporary internet files. It can speed up your web browser’s performance online and I like to run it about once a month.
Malware-Bytes is a utility that will look for malicious software on your computer. I like to run this utility if my computer start running slowly.
Finally SpyBot Search and Destroy looks for SpyWare and adware on your computer. It will find items that Malware-Bytes misses (and vice-versa).
Run one or more of the three utilities when you have decreased performance. You can download them here:
http://tinyurl.com/SpyBotSearch123
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Computer Maintenance, Teacher Productivity
Great suggestions for helping make that computer speedy once again!