While we all try to buy quality computers that will be reliable and stable for as long as possible, all tech tools can underperform here and there.
If you’ve noticed your machine is running increasingly slowly, crashing often, freezing, or having other issues that keep affecting your use of the device, it’s worth investigating some top ways to help it perform better.
You can take numerous steps to prevent a laptop or desktop computer, whether Windows or Mac, from underperforming.
Ensure You Haven’t Been Hacked
Firstly, it’s necessary to check your computer for a virus or some other sign it has been hacked that could be making it perform in a less-than-ideal manner. Scan for viruses, spyware, spam, ransomware, and other types of cybercriminal activity to not only prevent hackers from stealing data, limiting your access, or crashing systems but also to stop potentially malicious code that’s running in the background of your computer from chewing up processing power and slowing your machine down in turn.
If you have been hacked, use targeted cleaning tools to get rid of the nasty content, and then make sure you have a comprehensive internet security download ready to go. You need such software installed on your device as this will help keep cybercriminals at bay in the future. It should protect your privacy online when browsing and buying and send you real-time threat alerts. Look for a product that protects against numerous hacker tactics, such as viruses, spyware, spam, ransomware, etc.
In addition, it’s worth checking to see if you already have a firewall installed on your computer (most come pre-installed on new machines these days). Switch this firewall on so it’s activated, and then let it help protect your device further by focusing on blocking hackers that try to break in via an internet connection.
Keep Software Updated
Next, be careful not to keep running older versions of programs on your machine, as they can make your computer have to work harder. Also, if you don’t install the latest editions of the software, you can put yourself at more risk of a hacker attack and the underperforming (and other issues) that come with it. Developers typically plug security gaps that open up over time when updating their wares, so if you’re not switching to the newer versions, you leave yourself more vulnerable to attack.
It’s easy to ignore the pop-ups on our screens telling us there’s an update, though. To combat this, it helps to set up all programs to automatically install the updates whenever they get released. This should be done for everything from operating systems and browsers to applications, plugins, games, security software, and more.
Create More Disk Space
Another key way to prevent your computer from underperforming is to create more disk space on it. Many machines get glitchy when there isn’t enough disk space for operations to run effectively. If you can free up space, you should have fewer issues to contend with over time.
There are multiple ways to go about this. For example, try not to keep too many tabs open at one time on your browser or have lots of different programs open that will be competing for processing power. Get rid of as much junk on your device as you can, too, to increase available memory. Use a specialized cleaning program or review things manually to look for temporary, old, and unused files and programs to delete.
Expand Storage Capacity
You might also need to expand the storage capacity on your computer to stop it from underperforming. Many devices freeze or slow when they don’t have the storage capacity to handle all the tasks we’re asking them to, and sometimes cleaning out files won’t free up enough space. So, consider adding permanent storage to boost what you already have. This step is particularly vital if you check your machine and see that it’s using 80 percent or more of its capacity.
As for how much storage to upgrade to, this varies depending on individual needs, but a capacity of around 1TB is enough for most people. In addition, you may like to add more temporary storage. The RAM (random access memory) on your device is what’s used every time programs perform tasks and can fill up quickly.Â
Cleaning your computer externally is vital, too. Machines clogged in dirt, dust, pet hair, or other debris can end up with blocked vents and overheat in turn, or will generally slow down. As such, spend time dusting your computer screen, keyboard, and vents to keep your computer running optimally.
As you can see, while it’s frustrating having a computer that isn’t performing up to our standards, there are numerous steps we can take to fix the problem. Spend a little time now to sort out these issues, and you’ll save yourself plenty of headaches in the future.
