If you're suffering from a slow computer and thinking there is nothing you can do about it, think again. Many computer slow downs can be remedied by simple acts that most people do not think to do. While the computers that we buy come with manuals that tell us how to hook them up, they often do not tell us how to take care of them. A computer needs maintenance every once in a while just like your car.

The main cause of a slow computer is that you've either been neglecting the weekly checkups, or simply did not know to do them. These checkups involved running virus scans, malware scans, using registry cleaners, cleaning out the junk files from our machines, defragmenting, and checking the disk for errors. It's a bit of a long list to do but it can keep your machine running smoothly. It's best to do these on a weekend when you have the free time. Setting your system to do these things automatically, once a week, is another good option.

Virus scans are something that most computer users are familiar with by now. You run these protective programs to look through your machine, locate any viruses, and then remove them. Same principles apply for malware, spyware, adware, and other malicious software. These dangerous programs can run in the background without your knowledge and can slow your system down severely.

Aside from parasites trying to eat away at your computers operating system another cause of a slow computer is junk. Over time as we use our machines junk file fragments and left over registry entries accumulate. While these aren't harmful on their own they can slow things down and cause errors. It's a good idea to run registry cleaners to keep your registry clean and junk cleaners to keep your operating system clean.

The next major causes of a slow computer are errors on the hard disk itself, and your operating system needs to be defragmented. Not all operating systems need to be defragmented due to the difference in file systems and structures. However regardless of operating system your hard drive does need to be checked every once in a while. If your system doesn't have a built in tool to do this then it is advisable for you to find a third party tool to scan your drive.

Your hard drive is essentially a magnetic disc on a spindle, unless you're using one of the newer solid state disk drives. Over time areas on the disc can become damaged, and data corrupted. Checking the disk for these errors can fix the disc, recover the data, and get things moving again. Defragmenting a hard drive takes all the data stored on the computer and rearranges it into a nice organized structure. This can speed up an ailing system significantly.

Just because you're suffering from a slow computer doesn't mean you have to get a new one. Viruses, malware, and spyware may be the culprits of your lagging machine. Of course remembering to perform the routine maintenance on it can also speed it up, and keep it that way. Remember to take care of your computer like you would your car, or your own body.