Most of the time, PCs (especially those that run on Windows) slow down over time. And it’s basically due to the junk and clutter Windows dumps onto your system for all sorts of reasons. To improve your computer’s performance, don’t neglect the simplest maintenance such as:Clear your cache so that your browser will feed you updated web pages. Erase cookies and delete history and temporary internet files. For Firefox, that’s simply pressing Ctrl + Shift + Del and clearing those that apply. Visit the programs folder and remove applications you haven’t been using for the past months. Think twice before downloading and installing programs. Don’t use up too much space for files which you’re not even sure you need.
Use cleaners like CCleaner. They get rid of most of the junk (temporary files and folders) accumulated in files and folders in your computer. It can even clear Firefox’s and IE cache from its interface.
Windows keeps shadow and system restore files so clear them once in a while. They do take up a lot of space since they’re basically backups of key system files and your registry.
Defrag. Defragmentation just keeps the data in your hard drive neat and orderly. Windows XP’s defragmenter does the job quite fine but Windows Vista’s default defragmenter is stupid. It might be best to get a 3rd-party paid defragmenter
Windows Tip: 5-minute PC Maintenance
