Maintaining System Performance

Has your gaming PC, workstation or notebook been running slowly? Slower than it should be? Every computer system needs maintenance so it can continue to perform like when it was new. There is couple of reasons why this happens:

1. Infections – virus infections, malware & spyware and other types of infections
2. Operating System Corruption – major components of the operating system are failing
3. Software fighting for resources

Infections

Most important thing to do with your system is to protect it BEFORE the issues happen. If you already have some sort of a virus, chances are it could be very difficult or impossible to remove it. The key is prevention as it will stop the infections from ever getting into your system. No method is perfect, but there are many things you can do to minimize the threat. Be careful, some mainstream antivirus programs like Norton or McAfee can hinder performance while protecting your computer. There are some good (and free!) alternatives like AVG, Avast, and Avira. Malwarebytes is a popular choice for removing adware and spyware.

Operating System Corruption

Moving into the Operating System issues, these are typically results of other problems that occurred in the past. Things such as improperly removed software, infections or other components may have left the operating system crippled and can cause it to slow down and even crash. While there are many programs out there that claim they can fix these issues such as “Registry Cleaners” and so on, it’s important to note that the success rate of these programs is not that great, and that sometimes can cause more damage than what they’re trying to fix. By preventing system infections, as well as properly uninstalling applications and making sure that they don’t cross with one another, you will reduce the threat of possible corruptions.

Software Fighting for Resources

Finally, if your system is out of resources because many programs are fighting for it, you need to close down those programs that are wasting your resources. Sometimes programs can go rogue and waste more resources than needed. This is why frequent updates are important, as they typically address issues like these including many other security fixes. Uninstall programs you don’t use, and close the programs you don’t need. Maintain low tab count in your browsers and if possible avoid hibernation and sleep modes. If your computer memory is clogged up with data, it makes it very difficult for a system to wake up and retrieve all the data without any errors. It is much easier for a system to wake up if only 20-40% of its resources are being used, rather than 80-100%. Keep an eye on your task manager. What programs or tasks are taking up significant amounts of memory or processor cycles? Do you need them?