If you decide to upgrade your hardware, there are 3 parts of your computer that can be upgraded to improve your PC speed: the RAM memory, your disk drive and the CPU+motherboard combo.

Upgrading your RAM or a disk drive is easy and you can do it yourself, in a few simple steps. Upgrading your CPU is difficult and involves replacing the whole motherboard. I would not recommend upgrading your CPU, yourself, unless you know what you are doing.

Upgrading your RAM

Dollar for dollar, increasing your PC’s RAM is the best value for money upgrade you can perform. Right now I would recommend having 1 Gig of RAM for low end machines, 2Gig for middle of the road machines and 3 Gig for high end computers. You are unlikely to benefit from having more than 3 Gig.

You can tell how much RAM you currently have installed, in Windows XP and Vista, by opening the  control panel and going into the system section.

There are a number of different types of RAM and they operate at different speeds. RAM speed is measured in MHz. The type of RAM and the speed that is allowed is determined by your motherboard. You can look up the type and speed of RAM you can use in your motherboard manual. I recommend getting the highest speed RAM allowed.

Open the computer tower and locate the RAM slots there could be 2-4 slots, if you don’t see them check your motherboard manual. After locating the nearest available Slot simply insert the new module into the slot, taking careful note of the groves on the DIMM and the Locking clip to position the Module properly. If the DIMM does not fit you probably have it positioned incorrectly so flip it around and try reinserting it. Once the RAM module is in place apply pressure to the locking clips to secure it, you should hear a click as they close on the DIMM. Then just re-start your PC, go to the control panel and open the system section to ensure your computer has detected the new DIMM and it is working correctly.

Upgrading your hard drive

Hard drive speed is measured in RPM, that is the number of times the hard drive rotates in one minute. I recommend buying a 7,200 RPM hard drive. Before purchasing a new hard drive consult your motherboard guide to find out what type of hard drives are supported. If your motherboard supports SATA drives, buy one of those.

Once you have purchased your new hard drive it is time to prepare for the install. First install any software that came with your drive. Then power down the computer and open the case.

Setting  jumpers (This is only for IDE hard drives):

The different jumper settings will be shown on a diagram on top of the hard drive. If you have one drive that drive should be set to the single drive mode. If you have multiple drives, the one drive needs to be set to master and the rest of them to the slave mode.

Insert your new drive in an open drive bay. These bays are generally located in the front of the tower. Fix the drive in place with screws.

Look at both your mother board and drive manual and connect the drive using the relevant IDE or SATA cables.

Now that the hard work is done the only thing left to do is close back up your system, plug it in, and turn it on to verify that the new hard drive is working properly.

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Author: Sid Gaunt
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Horrible adware and spyware. You have to realize that there are people out there that want to infiltrate your machine for their financial gain and they will employ a number of methods to achive this. Spyware and adware are running rampant on the internet and they install billboards and tracking software on your PC that you do not know about. Not only are these an invasion of your cyberspace integrity, it is also a main culprit of computer slowdowns. A good adware and anti spyware program will do you wonders.

Data that is fragmented is a major reason for programs taking an absolute age to load. It is the cause of stress, high blood pressure and charred remains of monitors and desktop husks lying at the foot of a high rise building. Defragment. It is a very simple process to run. you can download de-fragmenting software from the web or just simply run the one that comes with Windows. Do it at least once a month, because the build-up of files and folders do get fragmented eventually and Windows has to painstakingly re-fragment everything just to launch even the most basic of programs.

Errors within Your Windows Registry. The most overlooked problem in the world of computing. The registry is a tiny file, a record of everything that is done within the computer, etched into a nexus of information that keeps your Windows stable. When that gets messed up you are going to start experiencing some significant performance problems. Registries a few months old will always contain null values, confused registry entries from bad installs, orphaned keys and traces left by viruses and spyware. A cluttered registry full of errors will more than likely slow your PC down to an unbearable level. Getting a good registry cleaner and windows optimiser will identify and eliminate multiple problems within and without the registry and speed up your computer like never before.

If you can imagine a collection of problems all surfacing at the same time then you can imagine the negative impact this can have on your PC. Your best course of action is to run a scanning program on your PC to identify problems. You’ll find loads of scanning software online to help you identify potential problems. They are mostly free to run and you’ll be suprised at how many problems they find. Invest a little and stop your computer slowing down.

Computer training can take place in a variety of methods, and can cover a variety of subjects. Let’s take a brief look at some of the options out there that are available to the novice, the average user, and even the self-proclaimed ‘expert’ computer user. Many long term computer users find that occasionally taking a computer training class of some sort helps them to stay on top of the ever-changing technology and software of the computer industry, not to mention the terminology used in day-to-day conversations about computers.

Usually, you would have to have gone to a live training class to become proficient in computers. In high schools all over, there are 12 year olds becoming incredibly proficient in computer use. As A Matter Of Fact, it originates much sooner today in highly-developed countries like America, Australia and the Britain. Colleges also offer courses on computer use, and some of these are geared towards the adult who has never been on a computer before.

Another method of computer training could involve a correspondence course. In the past, these sorts of courses were incredibly popular. Distance learning of this type allowed the student to learn at their own pace, and at their own location. While the magnet of distance studying is still a top request for those attempting to find out about electronic computers, there are a pair of extra methods that lend themselves to a more proactive approach.

Online computer training is emerging today as a force to be reckoned within educational circles. You don’t just have to sort your computer training online, you can improve your skills in almost anything with an online course! You can completely undertake a college degree from home using a college based online course.

One final method of computer training that is worth noting is that of software tutorials using video and/or software. With the improvement in computer technology, the ability of very good computer training packages has steadily increased. Nowadays, you can get your training either online or offline – there are plenty of software or DVD packages out there.

To be as good as you can be with regards to communicating and getting things done, it is imperative that you have a plan for keeping your computer training updated. There are an unlimited assortment of paths to capture this training, and some individuals even prefer to teach themselves based on specific subjects of interest and their ability to conduct research.

Answer:
Sure, that doesnt seem so hard to remove… Sure : Tools that will most likely get rid of it ( almost certain ) : ♣ AntiVir Avira ( highest detection rate among all antiviruses, 99,6% ) ♣ ClamWin ♣ ThreatFire ( both being an addition programs to anti-viruses, with strong on demand scanner ) How to configure Avira correctly : http://www.ecuhq.com/tested-programs-how-to-use-f32/antivir-personal-edition-classic-how-to-use-t143.htm How to configure ClamWin : http://www.ecuhq.com/tested-programs-how-to-use-f32/clamwin-free-antivirus-how-to-use-t140.htm Antispyware would be ↓ ( all free ) : ♣ Spyware Terminator ♣ Windows Defender ♣ Spyware Blaster ♣ Ad-Aware SE ♣ HijackThis Spyware Terminator & Windows Defender are known for their aggression when removing and HijackThis is extremely useful for removing their registry entries. When everything else fails, HijackThis might solve the problem. Especially if combined with ComboFix. However that tool is not advised to novice computer users. HijackThis is able to remove malicious registry entries. Pretty useful for final cleaning. How to use HijackThis : http://www.ecuhq.com/tested-programs-how-to-use-f32/hijackthis-how-to-use-t67.htm All available at : http://www.filehippo.com http://www.download.com http://www.softpedia.com http://sourceforge.net/ While on it, also destroy all restore points, virus may be backed up in them : 1. Click Start / Accessories / System Tools / System Restore 2. Look on the left and click on : “System Restore Settings” 3. Check a box, at : “Turn off System Restore on all drives” 4. Click Apply / Yes / Ok 5. Click Start / Accessories / System Tools / System Restore 6. Click Yes 7. Uncheck that box 8. Apply / Ok Hope it helped. If interested in computer security, feel free to visit : http://www.ecuhq.com

I had of course thought about replacing the computer but this seemed to me like an expensive option epically as I was not trying to do anything which the computer had not been capable of in the past. So I began to search the Internet for a solution and I came across www.fix-this-computer.com a web site offering advice on getting the most out of your computer. I took a good look around the site and tried the virus checker and the spy ware checker. These scans didnt find anyhting but then i cam across the section of the web site about windows registry errors. I read the text in this section and the symptoms sounded just like mine so I decided I probably had registry errros. I visited the the link offering a free scan and was directed to a software site where I downloaded software that scanned my computer for registry errors. The program found an amazing 307 errors on my computer. I elected to purchase the software to fix these problems and upon purchasing a license was given a password to upgrade the software from the trial version. Once I had the software it was easy and the software was scanning my computer in minutes. It took about ten minutes to fix all the errors and since they were repaired the computer has ran like a treat.

Let’s look at what the registry is, and why it causes you problems. The registry is a database that Microsoft created for Windows, with the purpose of storing all kinds of information that is required for the computer to run. Windows references the registry whenever the computer user makes a request of the system. New files are constantly being added to this large database, not only when you add new hardware or software, but also whenever you go to a new web page. Because the registry is constantly getting bigger, it eventually reaches its breaking point where it just gets too large, and other applications slow down.

So how do you repair the registry to fix problems like computer freezes after standby? The best option is to use a registry cleaner. This type of program will scan your PC for any files that are corrupt, or not needed. These will then be listed for you, and you get to decide what to do with them. A good registry cleaner also shuts off un-needed programs that you never use and are just slowing down the computer. And finally, the best registry repair programs allow you to schedule future scans ahead of time so that new errors can be found and deleted before you experience more problems such as computer freezes after standby.

If you need to repair the registry in Microsoft RegClean is one of the super registry cleaners on the market that you can use to do the job.

Why would you need to repair the registry?

Registry repair is necessary if you have a computer that runs slow, the start ups and shut downs take forever, and it freezes at random times.

What does the registry do, and why does it get corrupt?

The registry stores files that Windows constantly accesses in order to run programs. Simply put, if your Windows PC did not have a registry, it would cease to operate. All kinds of files are stored in the large database, and new files are placed inside the registry all the time. This happens even when you are going from web page to web page. But because so many new files are stored inside it, the registry eventually gets way too big, and that is when you start seeing all the system problems that we mentioned above.

What Do I Need to Do to Fix the Registry?

You can try to fix the registry on your own, but if you do this, you are taking a big chance. Registry repair is very delicate, and it is easy to make a costly mistake. Your best bet is to get a registry cleaner that will perform a scan of your computer, find errors, help you remove them, and this type of software will also work to keep future errors from causing problems down the road.

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First of all, let us answer the question of what is the registry? It is the database that determines whether your computer will function the right way. The registry is a digital storage device that is used to be changed each time you start up your Windows operating system. Your particular version of Windows may function the way it is supposed to until you get to the point where the registry has so many corrupt and unneeded files that it cannot operate the correct way any longer. This is when you will see your computer’s speed decline quite drastically.

In order to clean your computer registry the right way, you need to do a thorough analysis of the registry. Many people who use a computer find this task very time consuming and confusing. Plus, if you are not an expert in computers, you could easily damage your system permanently if you try to repair the Windows registry on your own, by hand. Because of this, using a registry repair software program is the best way to clean your computer, because it is fast, easy, and safe.

As I continue to try and answer the question of “how do i clean my computer’s registry,” I want to stress how important it is to use your registry cleaner on a regular basis, even after you have installed the program and used it once. Regular system scans will ensure that the registry never gets clogged again.

If you are looking to repair your registry and fix this really slow computer, you should definitely try the RegCure free trial. I am pretty sure that if you use RegCure to fix your corrupt registry, it will do the job. Why do I say RegCure, as opposed to some other registry repair programs? I have found that RegCure provides the most comprehensive scan, and has the most features, such as the ability to schedule future system scans in advance.

Let’s look at the need for a good registry cleaner, and what a registry cleaner does. When your computer runs slow, falls victim to freezes, starts up and shuts down in a slow manner, and web surfing has slowed to a crawl, there is a problem with your Windows computer registry. But what causes this? Well, the registry is the central database where Windows stores a number of files that are necessary for your computer to run. New files are always being added to the registry, even as you go from web page to web page. And because new files are constantly being added, the registry eventually gets too big, causing the other applications on your computer to slow down.

As you will see if you decide to do the RegCure free trial, a registry cleaner like RegCure or others that are similar will go in and fix these problems. It will scan your PC for errors, and give you a report on the errors so you can remove them from the hard drive. Using a registry repair program should get your computer back to the speed at which it was designed to run at.

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Answer:
Look on the back of the norton box it will probably say how many computers you can install it on. But i would recommend downloading AVG its free, doesn’t slow your computer down as much and is just as good at getting rid of viruses in my opinion.

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Try ccleaner to free up some space: http://www.download.com/CCleaner/3000-2144_4-10315544.html?tag=mncol lol, here, a thumb up for you.