There are several ways to improve the performance of your computer. Many of these are simple as rebooting your computer occasionally or installing a program and allowing it to run a scan.

Step 1: Scan for and Remove any infections:

• Virus Removal Guide
• Spyware Removal Guide

Step 2: Remove Unnecessary Programs

• Uninstall any programs that you know aren’t needed. Such as old versions of programs you no longer require. If you aren’t sure what a certain program is for, then it is best to look it up online, or not remove it.
• Remove temporary virus scan tools that sometimes automatically install with web browsers. E.g. Norton security tool, McAfee security scan.
• Remove any toolbars that you don’t actually use. E.g. MSN toolbar, Yahoo toolbar, Ask toolbar, babylon toolbar.

Step 3: Install Windows Updates

• Install Windows updates. Reboot your computer if required.
• When updates complete, then check for more updates.
• Repeat until no updates are left to install.

Step 4: Update any other programs that you can. Adobe Reader/Acrobat updates, Firefox, Adobe Flash player, etc.

• Often these programs notify you that there are updates available, or you can just open the program, look under the help menu and select “Check for update”

Step 5: Run a clean up utility:

• Download and install the cCleaner program (follow license requirements to determine the version)
  • Use the default settings except: deselect cookies, history, recently typed urls, recent documents, and Taskbar Jump lists.
  • Then click applications tab, and deselect anything you wish to save. Such as Firefox internet history or MS office document history.
  • Click “Run Cleaner”
• Run the ccleaner registry cleanup.
  • Click Registry on the left side,
  • Choose everything except missing Shared Dll, and Active X Issues
  • Click the scan for Issues button
  • Click Fix Selected Issues (you can make a backup file when it prompts you, or skip it)
• Download and Run SpeedyFox (http://www.crystalidea.com/speedyfox)
  • Make sure to close your programs it lists before clicking the optimize button.

Step 6: Perform Windows Disk Cleanup:

• Run Disk Cleanup (found under Start/all programs/accessories/system tools)
  • Select Drive C:
  • wait for the analysis to complete
  • select “cleanup system files” (if that option is available) and let it analyze further
  • put a checkmark beside temporary files, dump files, windows updates, log files, internet files.
  • click ok, let the cleanup finish
  • reboot your computer and let the windows update cleanup complete

Step 7: Defragment your hard drive:

• Run Disk Defragmenter (all programs/accessories/system tools)
  • Choose analyze to see how fragmented your drive is. (over 10% is bad)
  • Click Defrag to fix the fragmentation.
  • Check the schedule to have it defrag itself regularly.

Step 8: Perform a disc check:

• Follow the steps listed here