The Common and Uncommon Causes of a Slow Running Computer
Anything that enters our computers hard drive from the internet has this ability to cause problems with the way our computer performs. Still there are other factors that can contribute to the demise of excellent computer performance and they do not emanate from the internet. Whether or not they come from the internet, they show their presence by slowing down our computers. In this article, we will examine some common and not so common problems that make for a slow running, poor performing computer.
Sworn Enemies of Computer Performance
In recent years, everybody has become or is getting wise to registry corruption. We now know a corrupt registry will make a computer slow down and become unstable. Even worse, it can cause startup failures. A few years back, registry corruption wasnt as big a threat as it is today. This is because of the ironic fact Windows XP ad Vista registries become corrupted more easily than older OS’s and now just about everyone uses Windows XP or Vista.
Malware, like viruses, adware, and spyware are also harmful to an operating system. These undesirables can also be harmful to your personal finances because they can find out what your bank account numbers are. So, it is an understatement to say spyware is a danger to more than just your computer!
The Problem Lesser Known
Sometimes a computer is brought to my shop because his or her computer has lost its speed. However, after checking for Spyware, viruses and corruption in the registry, I find none. For such a computer, I realize the problem slowing it down is something other than the usual suspects. This something other is a problem is one that is not new to the world of PC’s, but it is very often overlooked. This is probably because fixing it has always been a bit tricky.
The problem I am referring to is a defective or outdated device driver. Until recently, fixing it required locating the driver that was causing the problem, finding a new one to replace it and then installing this newer version of the driver. What a time consuming job!
Driver Scanners to the Rescue
We don’t have to go through this much work anymore. Now we can use a driver scanner and it will do all this for us. This is not only a time saver; it is actually, a computer saver! The reason I say this is because the driver scanner can do things in a flash that would take a guy like me hours to do! It can tackle a computer that has a lot of failing and outdated drivers, whereas a human may never find every one of these bad drivers.
So, when your computer isnt acting like the speed burner it once was, make sure you use your virus cleaner. Also, get a free scan with a spyware cleaner if you dont already have a driver scanner installed on your computer. This will tell you if the virus cleaner has missed something. I find virus and spyware scanners jobs overlap, but most dont do a thorough cleaning in the others field of expertise. In any event, also use a registry cleaner to rid your PC of any corruption, then if you still dont have your computer back on its feet, its time to bring in the incredible driver scanner.