One of the biggest challenges with computers today, is to optimize the hardware and software to get the best performances, both at an Operative System level and at Application level.

It becomes even more important as the system gets older, or when the various applications, updates, new programs etc. are starting to "bloat" the system.

What we suggest are programs which can somehow optimize the poor old computer to a level that resembles the original "clean" installation.

First of all we must make sure our system is virus and malware free. Here we can suggest these free programs which are widely available as free downloads all over the net: AVG free (for the protection against viruses), Advanced Windows Care Personal V2 (a Swiss knife of tools to protect against spyware, clean obsolete files and optimize some system settings), SuperAntiSpyware free (to scan and remove all sort of Malware). There are also other very good programs like Lavasoft Adware free and Spybot Search and Destroy. Using them or a combination of the above will assure to have a virus and malware free computer.

Next step it is to remove all the files and programs that are bloating the system and particularly the hard drives. These are temporary files including the internet temporary files, log files etc., here CCleaner is a great free utility that will remove a lot of garbage both as files and registry entries. This step will lead to the next one: defragmenting the hard drive, which basically does the job of ordering the various files and folders in a very efficient way on the hard drive, making them accessible in the fastest way. We recommend here Auslogics Disk Defrag, a great free utility that is by far superior and faster to the built-in Windows version.

The next and final step is the defragmentation of the Windows Registry, that like the hard disk defragmentation, can be a factor in the sluggish performance of the computer. Also here Auslogics comes to the rescue with Auslogics Registry Defrag, also free and very good. When finished, the program will ask for a reboot and at this point, after the reboot, you will find that your optimized computer will perform faster and you will have peace of mind that your PC has been tuned up to a long way to be just as new as when you first installed it.

Why isn't my PC running the way it used to?

No matter how fast your computer is when you buy it, the speed is going to decrease over time. The reason for this is the Windows registry. As time goes by, your registry becomes corrupt (no matter how careful you are). The longer you own your PC, the more problems your registry is going to have. This results in slower system speeds, frequent freezes and unexplained crashes. The longer you let it go, the worse it becomes.

Is it time for a PC check up?

Computers perform best when they receive regular, professional maintenance. The installation and un-installation of software, hardware, and drivers often leave remnants behind in your registry, resulting in a tangle of unused applications, broken drivers, and incomplete and empty command signals.  This mass of confusion slows down your computer and if not addressed promptly can lead to serious problems such as computer freezing, programs not responding, and system crashes.