My PC is Slow! I Have Viruses! How Can I Make it Faster?

It's not exactly a huge secret that a year or two after you buy your shiny new computer, it's going to slow down and feel "outdated." The "outdated" part is largely untrue; if your computer usage stays the same and you don't demand anything extra from your hardware, it will do all your tasks just as well as the day you bought it. But if you decide one day that you want to start playing the latest PC games on your 3 year old Dell, and find that it can't keep up, yes, your computer is outdated - its hardware cannot keep up with the software. If you're just a regular computer user, however, doing the same stuff you've been doing for years - surfing the web, writing papers for school, watching YouTube videos, checking Facebook - and your computer becomes slower and less responsive, there's something else going on.

In almost all cases, this slowdown has nothing to do with your actual computer hardware, and is no reason to go shopping for a new PC. Save yourself the trouble! There's a relatively easy way to enjoy that "brand new" computer feeling; sometimes, it will be even faster than the day you bought it, especially if it was from a manufacturer like HP or Dell. What happens is that over time, often without our noticing, our PCs become bloated with software that we used once and forgot to uninstall, fragmented hard drives, excessive temporary files, and spyware/malware/viruses.

I'm considered by my group of friends as the "computer guy," the person they all turn to when they need help with their PCs or Macs. I can't begin to tell you how many times someone has approached me with the same old complaints - "I have a virus" or "My computer gives me all these errors," or "My computer is so slow I can't even browse the internet anymore." And 9 times out of 10, my solution is exactly the same:

Why, you ask? Because reinstalling a PCs operating system gives it a clean slate, a fresh start free from any and all software-related slowdown. If you had millions of temporary files left over from programs that you haven't used in months, they'll be gone. If your system was riddled with viruses and spyware, they'll be gone. If you were getting nonsensical and undiagnosable errors every time you logged in, they'll be gone. All those toolbars and add-ons that made your browser run like molasses? They'll be gone too. You will be left with a pristine, brand-new system working exactly the way it should. It is the absolute sure-fire way to make your computer faster, besides upgrading its components or flat out buying a new one.

There's a few things to keep in mind when doing a clean install. In order to achieve the desired results, you will need to format your hard drive. This ensures that absolutely no traces of your slow system are left over. "But...my files! My precious photos! My hilarious videos!" All you have to do is back those up, using a second hard drive, an external drive, DVDs, even cloud storage. Remember that you don't want to back up everything, only the stuff you actually need, which is generally contained in your "Documents" or "Desktop" folders. If anything, this is an opportunity to do some housecleaning and get rid of those old essays you wrote in high school but never deleted. Before copying all this stuff back, though, be sure to scan it for viruses. Sometimes pictures, documents, or videos can become infected.

As for your installed programs? More housecleaning. I don't recommend trying to copy your "Program Files" folder over to your new installation, as this simply won't work. Again, go through your list of installed programs and figure out which ones you actually use/need. Make a list of the ones you want to keep, and just re-install them once you have a fresh copy of Windows set up. It may take some time, but trust me, it will be worth it. And I guarantee you will find a ton of applications that you have absolutely no use for, and probably some that you don't even remember installing. Lots of times, the software you want comes bundled with crap you don't, and unless you're meticulous and uncheck all those boxes during installation, it'll be there, taking up space and resources.

But where do I get a new copy of Windows, you may say to yourself. Well, if you bought your computer pre-built from a manufacturer, it came with Windows already installed, and hopefully, with a re-installation disc as well. If you can't find it, turn to your own "computer guy" - more likely than not, they'll be able to help you out.

One of the best things about a fresh installation of Windows is that your computer may be faster right out of the gate than it was the day you bought it. Usually, manufacturers feel the need to stuff a bunch of their own bloatware onto your PC right from the start - all sorts of diagnostic utilities, media center applications, pre-installed virus scanners, etc. You probably have zero need for any of this junk, and you don't want your fresh new computer to be configured the way that Gateway or Compaq decided it should be. Install only what you need, and keep that brand-new feeling as long as possible.

After all is said and done, you will be amazed at the difference. It's like having a new computer all over again, trust me. You have a clean hard drive with plenty of space, no annoying pop-ups or error messages, no extra software that you don't need or ever wanted in the first place, the list goes on. Plus, you'll feel like a genius because not only did you learn an invaluable method to speed up your old but more-than-capable PC, you didn't spend any money doing it! Don't waste your time with GeekSquad or similar services. Half the time, they're going to reinstall Windows anyway, except they'll charge you a ridiculous amount for something that most people are more than capable of doing themselves. And finally, you may even learn a thing or two and become the "computer guy" yourself.

If you need detailed instructions on reinstalling your operating system, go here for more information. Or just head to Google and search "Clean Install Windows". Good luck!