Clean Up Your Desktop!

Does it feel like your once snappy computer is slowing down? Speeding it up could be as easy as taking out the trash. Here are some of the biggest reasons your computer’s on slug mode, and the easy ways you can fix it.

1. Take out the Trash. When you delete files they’re still on your hard drive, in a holding area, slowing you down. Check it, make sure you don’t need it, and then empty that bin!
2. Damn Dirty Desktop. Do you save all your files and put all your widgets onto your desktop so they’re easy to find? Bad move. Your desktop is supposed to be interactive, help you navigate, not be a storage bin. Make folders and file that stuff away.
3. Update your Software. Those updates are designed to help your operating system work better, faster, stronger. Don’t ignore them! The health and safety of your computer may depend on it.
4. Too Many Programs. Take a gander at all your installed programs. How many of them do you really use? I’ll bet there are some on there you didn’t even know you had. And make sure it’s FULLY uninstalled. Your computer doesn’t like moldy leftovers any more than you do.
5. Clean up your Cache. If you do a lot of web browsing, you could unwittingly have a lot of junk stuffed in your cache, which is a place where frequently viewed or used settings, images, files and such can be stored. It’s really nice when your browser remembers and shortcuts things for you, but not so nice when your computer moves like it’s stuck in cement. Every once in awhile, you should delete your Browsing History and give your computer a boost.

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Photo Credit: Leszek Czerwonka / Shutterstock.com