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Computers are a vital part of modern life. They are used for communication, work and entertainment. And in these days of increased remote working from home because of Covid-19, your livelihood might depend on your PC or Mac. But, unfortunately, good computers aren’t cheap and upgrading them can cost a lot of money.
However, there are multiple methods of maintaining your computer to continue to operate at an optimal speed without the need for expensive upgrades or repairs.
Change Your Operating System
The operating system is the interface you use to interact with your computer. Examples of operating systems include Windows, macOS, and Linux builds. To run correctly, operating systems require system resources such as a processor (CPU), volume storage (hard disk) and volatile memory (RAM). With each incarnation of a new OS, the amount of resources required increases and is, therefore, more intensive on your hardware.
Unfortunately, increased resource usage will slow down a computer if there isn’t a sufficient amount available. And a slow PC can be extremely annoying. However, you could consider switching or downgrading your OS. For example, if you only use your PC for menial tasks, you could switch to Linux as it isn’t as intensive as Windows. If the Monterey build of macOS is slowing down your machine, then you might consider a downgrade to Big Sur.
Optimize Your Files
File and system optimization is a crucial component of keeping your machine running smoothly. As you accumulate files on your computer, they can build up and cause your computer to slow down. Many of these files are unnecessary, such as your web browser cache, update files, OS search history and registry data. Fortunately, these are easy to remedy.
It is possible to manually delete this data. However, it is tedious. The best solution is to use an optimization program such as CCleaner. Optimization apps will safely remove files that are no longer needed. As a result, your OS will operate smoothly. In addition, you will see a performance increase, meaning files and apps will open quicker, and your web browser may run without issues.
Keep Disk Usage Above 20%
The hard disk drive (HDD) is known as volume storage, and it is the primary location where your files are stored. The primary HDD is typically the C Drive in Windows and HD in MacOS. Whenever you install a program or save a file, it is stored on your primary volume. Each volume has a finite amount of storage space. Over time, as you accumulate apps, programs and files, storage space becomes depleted.
The more data that is stored on a hard disk volume, the slower it becomes. There are numerous reasons for this, such as file fragmentation and operating system resource requirements. For example, your computer will slow if your operating system cannot access the amount of space it needs. In addition, the OS may need space for paging and swapping, temporary files, and fragmentation prevention. It is therefore recommended to keep at least 20% of your HDD’s space available.
Defrag Your HDD
As mentioned above, files on your HDD can become fragmented. Fragmentation is a complex issue. However, fragmentation basically occurs when too much or not enough contiguous HDD space is allocated when a file is created. This results in a file being stored in pieces in multiple locations on the volume. Fragments slow down a computer because the OS has to look in numerous places to access a file.
Fortunately, you can remedy fragmentation by defragmenting your hard disk. Defragging seeks fragmented files so it can place fragments in a contiguous manner if possible. You should defrag your HDD once per month. It should be noted that solid-state drives (SSD) do not fragment files, and defragging an SSD can permanently damage it.
Sort Your Applications
An essential part of OS management is actively keeping tabs on programs. Unfortunately, it is easy to install many applications and forget about them. This can cause your PC or Mac to become filled with redundant programs. These take up valuable space, and some can interfere with the operation of your machine. A prime example is startup items that load upon boot and run in the background. These cause longer boot times and use valuable RAM and CPU power.
You should take the time to sort your applications once per month. Then, uninstall anything you don’t use and manage your startup items. Depending on your OS, there are various methods of managing startup items.
For Windows 10:
Right-click ‘Start’ -> ‘Task Manager’ – ‘Startup’ tab. Here, you can uncheck anything you don’t need at a startup.
For macOS
Navigate to ‘System/Library/StartupItems’. From here, you can delete and place any items you don’t need or want into the Trash.
Allowing as few of these as possible on Windows or macOS will increase boot times significantly.
These small maintenance tasks should keep your PC working well for much longer, as well as improving the speed. It’s worth taking the time!
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