Two of the easiest things to do is the make sure you have a lot of free disk space available. A lot of free space means the system doesn't have to search for open clusters when writing to a file. The quicker it finds free clusters, the quicker it moves on to the things. This brings us to the second thing - memory. Put in as much as the system will hold or as much as you can afford, whichever come first. The reason is this: Windows caches data for everyday tasks in memory. When there isn't enough memory, Windows caches to a file instead. Writing to a file is much slower than writing to memory so you want to keep the cache in memory. Do that be increasing your memory.
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General discussion
What can I do myself to speed up a slow computer?
What can I do myself to speed up a slow computer?
Can anyone please explain, in plain English and with step-by-step instructions, how to speed up a slow computer? I've been reading these newsletters for a long time and while I try to understand some of the tech jargon thrown around, however many times my old brain just isn't what it used to be. In previous newsletters answers that cover this subject are very confusing. The submitted answers say don't use register cleaners, defragging won't speed it up and the most confusing one is, update the drivers! How does a person update the drivers and what exactly is a driver? The answer of "going to a manufacturer's Web site to update a driver" is meaningless to me, cause don't know what I am supposed to update or how I find the drivers installed on the computer. All I want is a simple list of methods (step-by-step instructions) for any nontechnical person like myself, to follow and understand in order to speed up my computer and also what routine and steps to take thereafter to keep my computer in a good running state. I'm using a Dell desktop with Windows 7. Thank you for your help.
--Submitted by Jonathan K.
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There is a very help FREE programme called Driver Booster 2 which I downloaded from CNet some time back that checks to drivers and keeps them up to date.
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I've actually experienced "Driver Booster" first hand and found that as soon as it ran, I was getting blue screens (BSOD). The only way to fix that was to go to "Last Known Good..." in the boot menu.
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That's probably a registry cleaner, and if you don't know anything about the registry, you shouldn't use it. if you DO know about the registry, and all its entries, you don't need it. Typically these things also install potentially unwanted items, or nag screens to install stuff you don't want. In general, they're no good.
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No, driver updaters and registry cleaners do completely different things. One replaces programs on your programs with newer (but possibly wrong) versions. The other cleans unused lines from the database that stores information about all the programs on your computer and how you use them.
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Yes, I know the difference between the two. If one of these programs that is "supposed" to make sure you have the latest drivers for your system goes bonkers and loads an incorrect driver, you can expect the blue screen of death. On reboot, you will get another BSOD and so on. The only fix is the "Last Known Good.." boot setting. Registry cleaners are so-so. I've used them before to get rid of program data that didn't get cleared when you uninstall a program, but I don't bother too much with those.
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Low effort, low results, big danger of frying your system.
But you did demand something low effort, and I've an idea you're headed for go to Walmart and buy whatever new cheapy you're just going to replace in a month anyway, so what the heck - go to it.
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If you are getting BSODs while running Driver Booster 2 then you almost certainly have malware or a corrupted registry.
There are several things you can do to speed up a machine. Assuming all of the software is healthy, adding RAM (raising it to 4 gig if you have 32 bit Windows or 8 gig if you have 64 bit Windows) is typically the easiest and most beneficial.
If you are playing games and have a desktop, upgrading your graphics card will help a lot. For that you need very specific advice. If you have a laptop, you can't upgrade the graphics card, aka GPU.
Other than that, the easiest thing may well be using your machine's factory restore - after backing up your personal data. There are some many things that could be going on - malware, spyware, out of date drivers, disk fragmentation, and a number of other things, all with different solutions. Thus, starting over from scratch really is the easiest way to go. You do NOT need to pay anyone. Back up your data to a flash drive, dvd, or external drive and then follow your computer manufacturer's directions to perform a factory restore.
Once that is done, install your preferred AV program, Quiho 360 is an excellent free alternative. For paid software, BitDefender, Kaspersky (my current AV), and eSET are the top choices.
Now, perform Windows Update until you get no more updates and then go to Java.com and install Java, followed by Driver Booster 2.
Next, uninstall any software from the mfg which you don't want or need. They typically include a lot of bloatware.
For a free Office suite every bit as good as MS Office, take a look at LibreOffice.
Restore your personal data.
Going forward, very careful about the software you install. During the installation be sure that it doesn't include any other software, usually requiring a checkbox to be cleared. For example, I think the Java install will add MacAfee if you don't unselect it.
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If you have an OEM machine, your fastest way to a clean machine is to back up your personal data and uyse the factory restore, install your preferred AV, download the latest drivers for yoour computer from the OEM web site, install your 3rd party apps, and run Windows update repeatedly until you get no more updates. Now restore your personal data. If you don't already, get an external hard drive and make an image of your hard drive for speedy restores in the future. You could even use a 32 or 64 gig drive to make the restore image. This would be the the fastest restore method - or using a small SSD.
Manual steps:
If you have a 32bit version of Windows, make sure you have 4 gigs of RAM. If you have a 64 bit version of Windows, consider upgrading to 8 gigs of RAM.
Virtual memory: A little known and little practiced trick to speed up your computer is to optimize your virtual memory. Do a quick search of the net on how to access the virtual memory. There are many great pages for this out there and I don't want to recreate the wheel. (You have to be logged on as an Admin) Once you find it:
1. Turn off virtual memory on all drives.
2. Run the command MSCONFIG, go to the Startup tab, and deselect everything.
3. Turn off your computer and disconnect the network cable or turn off/eject the WiFi card.
4. Power on your computer and logon to an Admin account.
5. Run the Windows System Defragment tool. Now, when you create a VM file, it will be all in one contiguous file, making it much faster.
6. Access the Virtual Memory tool again, and enable it but deselect the option to Let Windows Manage the VMM. Now, assuming you only have one hard drive, create a VMM of fixed size, specifying the size as follows:
RAM less than 4gb : 2x the amount of RAM in your system.
RAM 4gb - 8gb: VMM = size of RAM.
RAM > 8gb ... you probably don't need a VM file but it won't hurt. Don't go bigger than 8 gigs, though.
note: If you have more than one drive put the VM file (aka Swap file) on the most used partition of the least used hard drive.
7. Save out of the Virtual Memory configurator, run MSCONFIG and go to the Start tab again and then re-enable only those items you want to start when you log on (be sure to include your AV application) and then reboot.
Most system degradation is the result of Malware/Spyware. Most AV/Spyware programs claim to do both anymore. YMMV.
First and foremost: given your lack of knowledge you must have a quality AV program on your system. My preferred free AV at this point is Quiho 360. It has performed very well in the independent test labs, better than most free and paid programs, and I find it much less annoying than AVG and Avast (two of the other better free progs). For paid AV programs, the top 3 at; the test labs a few months back were eSET, BitDefender, and Kaspersky (which I currently own/run). AV mfgs are constantly trying to improve their performance so these rankings can change, but you won't suffer if you use one of those 3.
Now, install and run Malwarebytes Free Edition and scan your computer. This is an ideal ondemand scanner (as opposed to the real time protection of your primary AV program). They also offer a real-time version which I am sure is quite exceptional, but I haven't seen it tested yet.
You should also run an anti-spy program. Some great free ones are Spybot Search & Destroy, Super-Anti-Spyware, and Adaware Free.
Use CCleaner (free) to clean-up your system of general junk.
For cleaning up other things, the Windows Repair All-In-One tool from Tweaking.com is a great tool. Another good one is IoBit's Advanced System Care (Free).
Using a usb stick for Ready Boost will slow your system down, trying to do what your virtual memory is already doing but using slower memory over an even slower interface than what your hdd already provides. (This assumes you aren't using the highest performing flash memory and USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt (or similar).)
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Go to www.blackviper.com and follow is guide to configuring the system services for your version of Windows. Using his guide can dramatically increase your performance.
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download, and run Startup Light from Malware Bytes. It is the safest way for a dummy to lower the startup crowd. I can't help thinking most people won't know the steps to turn off virtual memory on all drives, though I do realize that is what Google is for! 
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Your Link did not 'load'.
I have been running Driver Booster 2 for some time now .
Currently I have Win 8.1 Pro X 64 with previously 8 now 16Gig RAM and have not had the sad experiences listed so perhaps I have just been lucky. They now have a Beta which I run and it appears to update drivers OK so from my own experience it is functioning as required.
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If Driver Booster 2 "wrecked your computer" then almost certainly you have malware/spyware on your system.
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Such programs update drivers, the programs that translate between the operating system (Windows) and devices such as displays. They will download and install drivers that conflict with the components of your computer.
For example, Driver Booster installed a Microsoft driver because it was newer than a Dell driver in my computer, but the hardware required the Dell version in order to function. Fixing all the problems caused by Driver Booster cost me several days of work.
Besides, updating the drivers will not speed up your computer. That is not where the cause lies.
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Updating drivers can have a dramatic impact on your machine's performance, particularly those associated with your motherboard, disk drives, and graphics. It is an unfortunate truth that some mfgs, Dell is one of the worst, tweaking things so that non-Dell versions of drivers will have problems. They also tweak their systems so that non-Dell components don't work. This is why I studiously avoid Dell machines and have for 20 years.
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If I went to an IT meeting and admitted to such techniques in a professional atmosphere. Every IT tech worth his/her salt knows you don't mess with drivers unless a specific hardware problem arises. And even then, it is better to try Windows update if no OEM drivers can be found from the hardware manufactures web site.
Drivers would be the LAST thing I'd look for in a slow computer. The list of solutions and the way I'd do it is just too numerous and cumbersome to post here in CNET, in my opinion.
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Hello Jonathan,
Having just come through a similar situation, I recommend you reformat your hard drive. You probably have a lot "junk", maybe a virus or two, lots of corrupted Windows files, and more on your hard drive that is slowing down your system. Reformatting is easy and a nontechie can do it quite successfully. You will need your Windows 7 CDs, or your OEM CDs that came with your PC. If you don't have either of those, then contact Dell and see if you can purchase them (I have an HP with Windows 7 and I bought the OEM recovery CD's for $30). You will need to back up your hard drive to CDs, or an exterior drive, or any number of other file containers.
If you are a complete novice, there are places to take your PC who will do the reformatting for a reasonable fee ($100 - $150). Also, HP and ATT are both offering online support for a very affordable amount - either of these sites will either do it for you or walk you through the process.
You probably need more RAM (more than 4GB) and might need a larger hard drive. Investing in RAM is affordable, but if you need a larger hard drive, I would suggest you wait until Win 10 is almost bug-free and then buy a new computer. I will probably do that, as my PC is 5 years old and has been "end-of-lifed" by HP, which means no support.
On the other hand, if most of your PC use is for emails, web browsing and games, you might want to consider an android. There are some very good ones for a lot less than $200, and the refurb market is great now with low prices and long warranties.
When you are finished, successfully, you will be a real techie!!
Jackson Gal
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Reformatting and reinstalling is overkill and not what he is asking. Anyone can reinstall fresh, he wants to speed up what he has. I don't know about others but when I have to reinstall, it takes days to get things back to normal. That is not something to recommend as a first step. And be careful about those third party tools. Some add spyware. Spybot and Adware are good tools for that.
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First of all, a person would need to have a perfect backup to restore from. Once you reformat your system drive, there is no system anymore so the novice would need to find out how to get that back. Registry gone too? What about all your software and the associated registry entries?
More than likely, a novice would wind up with a faster PC simply because all of his software and some of his data would be gone. Data is usually in strange places such as INI files or DAT files in a folder somewhere. My Documents would have some. The registry has some. For someone who is not technically-oriented and detail-oriented, re-formatting can be a disaster with bits and pieces of information lost all over the place. Unless, of course, that is OK. And if you reload from backup, you might find yourself back where you started. Not everyone can do this.
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Then they understand why I'll slip in a new bland HDD to install to and leave the old HDD untouched. That way they can try and try, refining their install procedure till they get it right.
Frankly I have stopped advising clean installs about 2 years ago. Folk don't want to know their PC that well. They tend to get upset as you direct them to the maker's site and write about helper apps. It's not easy enough today to install Windows 8 and prior. Maybe 10?
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I know reformatting and reinstalling isn't what he wants but my experience is this:
1. You may spend 2 days reinstalling a new system but you can take a week trying to speed up a PC with no effect except making it worse. You need a lot of technical ability to speed it up and even then you will normally fail.
2. Driver update programmes lie to sell their product just as registry cleaners. Both of those sources can basically destroy your system.
As an example, if you are tempted to use Windows update to update a printer or video card drivers, chances are high it will destroy the functionality of both. I've tried it about 2 times each and I've had to restore my PC using the system backup each time. Never use Windows to update a non Windows product!!! And Windows restore is absolutely useless (if it works at all). I think it's purpose is to waste space.
3. If you unknowingly instal AdWare or spyware with a programme you decide to test, chances are it will stay with your PC when the programme is uninstalled. Then you need to know about start up configuration and what Services should be running because your anti-virus programme won't detect it. (My brother liked testing new programmes and uninstalling them, he ended up with a 20 minute boot.)
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My take on this is that the original poster probably has no idea what anyone means by "format" his drive. He is asking for step-by-step directions. Yes, you could give him directions saying right-click on the C: icon and then left-click on "format", but then what are you going to have him do when the format is complete and there is no operating system and all of his programs are gone as well as the data? Does he even have backups? What about installation disks? Maybe he would have needed a lot of step-by-step instructions BEFORE formatting C:?
When the OP says his computer is slow, what kind of computer are we even talking about? A PC? A MAC? LINUX? If the OP is as much of a novice as he indicates, is formatting a process that he can handle? We don't know that. As beneficial as formatting is, I'm not certain that this is action that a novice can do by his or her self.
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....to the easy Linux way. 
LIVE CD's and DVD's that run like a full "read only" system right from boot, and make the install easy, especially when it's to be the only OS on it.
Here's mine, it's Linux Mint MATE version.
http://glenburniemd.net/CNET/Linux17/index.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB6RR-3vJZ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMHjUqRfmC8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tut8_aBfznc
The only thing easier is buying a new one with an OS already installed.
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we can talk for free..any assistance I give will be free Skype name is finebldr0
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lots of help here...I think I get it...soo much information...email me if you'd like...just click on my CNET forum name above (FBLDSYT) ,,,then left click on the blue envelope on the page that opens...be very happy to assist you if you still need help
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But I suspect his computer might be too slow to do that
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