The Tribune

By Deidre Bastian

Help. I need a new computer, this one is so slow and my deadline is tomorrow. We have all heard this cry before. You felt your life would be more enjoyable, graphic work easier and flow smoother since you took the initiative to invest in this amazing, brand new PC. But that was eight years ago.

There are many reasons why computers are slow, but some may be more apparent than others. A computer purchased many years ago has to be running slow simply because you have uploaded numerous photos, images, devices, programs, games and web files. and the poor machine cannot cope any longer with the load. This may result in slow loading, error messages and system crashes, with the latter probably the source of your greatest frustration.

Imagine when you first built and stocked your warehouse. Boxes were nicely organised on the shelf. But, over time, as boxes are removed and restocked, things start to get disorganised, and the best option is to clear out the whole building and restock the warehouse from scratch.

Computers are like warehouses, as installing and uninstalling programs can also contribute to overcrowding. As time passes, software that updates tends to grow in file size, not shrink, and users tend to install more updated programs once they are introduced, especially designers.

Another factor is that all computers have what is called a registry, which is like a database that stores configurations. So information regarding how your desktop is set, what picture it has, and what programs you have installed are all stored in the registry.

Over time, installing and uninstalling programs rewrites small parts of the registry, which can cause the computer to slow down.

Another reason for a slow PC is an infestation of Spyware or Adware. The less dangerous type causes multiple ads to pop up whenever you go on the Internet. They steal your PC’s clock cycles, and cause your hard drive to become bloated, which results in a slow system.

Viruses are huge contributors to a slow computer, and there are many types out there. Some are bogus and pretend, so that you cough up your credit card, while others lie dormant in the background, waiting for further instructions from home base.

Many deluge the users with ‘pop up’ ads based on user behaviour, and some hijack search results to direct you to suspicious web sites. All viruses slow down computer performance.

Ironically, Windows may update itself about once a week, which is all well and good, but the problem is that it leaves behind a huge mess each time. And the largest culprits are uninstalled points, which allow you to roll back to a prior revision of Windows.

The dilemma is this: These uninstall directories are huge and contain Gigabytes of useless information. This is a major problem with Windows and, if you do nothing, these uninstall directories are so large it is possible that you will run out of hard drive space.

Fragmentation may be one of the largest contributors to slow performance, as once a disk becomes sufficiently fragmented, it literally takes 10 times as long to read and write basic information. Simple tasks such as loading an application or viewing a web page can take 10-15 minutes on a badly fragmented system.

So, one of the keys to a performing computer is maximum free space, as the more free space Windows has, the quicker it can do its chores.

Your life does not have to be unhappy because your cherished computer is so slow. Simple tweaking can be done through a myriad of free online tools, which we will unquestionably unravel next week. Until we meet again, fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

• NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

ABOUT COLUMNIST: Ms Bastian is a professionally trained graphic designer who has qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.