3 Tips for Faster Computing

Few things get under my skin more quickly than having to wait on my computer. So, here are my favorite 3 tricks to speed things up, only one of which costs any money:

1. Maintain at least 25% free space on your hard drive. This is particularly important if your computer is low on RAM (memory). Delete files you don’t need any longer, uninstall programs you don’t use and burn to CD/DVD files you want to keep but don’t have to have on your hard drive.
2. De-frag your hard drive(s) on a regular basis. Defragging your hard drive is one of the best things you can do to speed up your computing experience without spending any money. It’s like cleaning out your closet - it makes everything easier to find on your hard drive, so your computer doesn’t have to hunt all over the place for what you need.
3. Max out your RAM (memory). RAM is fairly cheap - a whole lot cheaper than buying a new computer, so find out how much RAM your computer can handle, and max it out as soon as possible.

Bonus tip: Don’t pay for faster Internet access than your computer can handle. Lord knows I’m the last one to recommend dial-up to anyone these days, but you’re throwing money out the window if you’ve got a faster connection than your computer can make use of. It’s like getting a drink from a fire hose.