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Tech Minute: Speeding Up A Slow Computer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Over time, your computer starts to slow down, so what can we do to speed it back up?

Denise Shirley Carter from Hudson, Wis. wrote our Tech Minute folks on Facebook and wanted to know how to "clean up your computer when it's getting slow."

There are so many options out there to clean up a slow computer; here are a few suggestions that are fairly simple.

First, so many of us store files on our desktop, which computer service technicians say is a bad idea. Instead, put those files into organized folders. Experts said that will help speed up your computer.

Over time, unneeded files are also stored on computers.

"As your using your web browser and your applications, there are cache files and temporary files that get created," said Tom Schmidt a service technician at First Tech in Uptown. "(Those files) accumulate and every once and a while they may need to be flushed out."

For Mac's, Schmidt uses OnyX to clean it up. For PC's he uses CCleaner. Both programs are available free for download.

Schmidt said computers should have at least 2GB RAM to stay fast. If you do graphics or multimedia work, you'll want 8GB. On your hard drive, Schmidt said you should keep at least 10 GB free.

If you try all of this and your computer is still slow, then you may want to take it in to a professional and get it looked it. You may have a hardware problem.

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