You can test your internet connect speed for uploads and downloads at www.speedtest.net This is a great tool to see just how fast your up and down loads are moving.
Please note that most reasons your internet/computer is running slow may not be due to your internet connection but your own computer.
Regular computer maintenance is a very important part of keeping your computer healthy and working at its optimum capacity. Here are some tips to help you maintain your own computer.
1. Virus protection is a must! If you do not have virus protection on your computer this is step one that you are going to want to correct. If you can not afford the monthly or yearly rates for such programs as Norton or McAfee you can download a free version of AVG from www.download.com- Go to this site, search AVG Free and follow the prompts and make sure you are choosing the Free Version. Their pay service for AVG is also very good which I personally use and gives many more advantages over "fighting the bad guys in cyber world"
2. Clean up your computer!!! first having a lot of items on your desktop is not advisable and should be organized safe and sound in folders, document folder, picture folder etc... but more importantly if you go to your START menu, proceed to ACCESSORIES Folder, then SYSTEM TOOLS then choose DISK CLEANUP. This will bring up a window with a bunch of folder names and check boxes. Make sure everything is checked (you might need to scroll through this window) and then run the DISK CLEANUP. If this is the first time ever running the clean up program it may take a long time to run.
3. Defragment your hard drive!!! Your computer basically reads things in a series such as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8....If this series is fragmented 1 4 3 7 5 6 8 the computer will still look for 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. This slows the computer down since it now has to "look" for the numbers instead of being in order. Go to your START menu, then to ACCESSORIES Folder, then choose SYSTEM TOOLS and click on Defrag (DISK DEFRAGMENTER)
Again if this is the first time you are running this tool it can take up to several hours.
NOTE: When I run any of these tools I turn of my screen saver and power saver so that the processes can run without interruption.
4. Does windows automatically update my computer? YES AND NO!!! if set correctly critical windows updates can download automatically HOWEVER that does not mean that all updates are downloaded. You should MANUALLY run windows update and choose the Manual function to see if there are additional OPTIONAL updates. Some of the security updates are in this tab and should also be installed to your computer. (The only caution would be sometimes updates for Modems can cause issues with your Internet connection and if that occurs you will need to ROLL BACK the modem's driver to the previous one)
5. Computer Manufactor's updates - Most manufactors have thier own updates as well and can usually be found in your start menu by the manufactors name. For my computer I got to START and then HP and then HP Updates. You will need to see if your manufactor has a similar software link in your start menu.
6. Malware/Spyware are definitely items that slow your computer and connections down. If your Virus Protection does not have Malware/Spyware functions check to see if they are turned on or if they have the ability to scan for these items. If not I could suggest www.download.com and download the free version of Spybot and free version of Emsisoft Anti-Malware. I use both of these items as each has their advantages. They should be ran on a regular basis.
NOTE: If you are using the free software and have the ability please make a donation to the makers of the software to help keep these programs free.
If you are having SERIOUS issues with your PC you may want to consult a professional and if this case get a quote up front for what will be charged for diagnosing the issue. Also consider the AGE of your PC. Personal Upright Computers have a shelf life of 6-10 years depending on how they are used. Laptops being more compact and less room to "breath" for the eternal components have a life expectancy of about 3-4 years. Check about every 6 months when you get a computer for any recalls so that you can take advantage of any manufacture issues and before they run out of warranty and/or Recall deadlines.
I hope this helps you with becoming more pro-active with keeping your computer working healthy and efficient.
Just a few tips from your Uncle Robert :-) HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
