Step 1: Delete Temporary Files -

- Click 'START'
- Click 'CONTROL PANEL'
- Double-click 'INTERNET OPTIONS'
- Under "Browsing History", click 'DELETE'
- You can choose to delete temporary files, cookies, history, or form data, passwords, or everything. (You probably should just choose to 'DELETE ALL'.)
- Restart your computer after temporary internet files are deleted

Temporary Internet Files can be manually deleted by:

- Clicking 'START'
- Click 'RUN'
- Type " c:\documents and settings\ (*Your Computer Username*) \local settings\temporary internet files "
- Click 'OK'

More files can also be found at:
" c:\documents and settings\ (*Your Computer Username*) \local settings\temporary internet files\content.ie5 "

* Replace "Your Computer Username" with the username you use to login to Windows. The username can be seen at the top of the Start Menu. If multiple users use the computer, you probably want to delete all of the files under each username.

Step 2: Run Disk Cleanup -

- Click 'START'
- Click 'Programs'
- Click 'Accessories'
- Click 'System Tools'
- Click 'Disk Cleanup'
- Select the drive which contains Windows (Which is usually c:\ )
- Click 'OK'
- Disk Cleanup will search for more temporary files which can all be deleted
- Select which files you would like to delete (All can be selected safely)
- Click 'OK' and the Click 'YES' to start deleting
- Restart your computer

Step 3: Delete Malware -

- Download a program to remove Malware (I use MalwareBytes)
- Install the program
- Download updates if applicable
- Scan and remove any malware that is found
- Restart your computer

Step 4: Download Windows Update -

- Open Internet Explorer
- Click 'Tools' (On the menu bar)
- Click 'Windows Update'
- When two buttons appear that say "Express" or "Custom", choose "Express" (To download all critical updates) OR "Custom" (To choose which updates you wish to download)
- After the updates are downloaded, restart your computer

Step 5: Disable unwanted programs from automatically starting when the computer is turned on -

- Click 'START'
- Click 'Run'
- Type "msconfig"
- Click the "Startup" tab at the top of the window that opens
- The programs that are set to open when Windows starts has a checkmark next to them. To disable that program from starting with Windows, unselect the checkbox.
- Services can also be disabled under the "Services" tab.
- Click 'OK'
- Click 'Restart' if you want to restart your computer now, or "Exit Without Restart" to restart the computer later.

***** TAKE CAUTION WHEN DISABLING PROGRAMS AS IT COULD
AFFECT OTHER PROGRAMS NOT TO WORK*****

Step 6: Remove Unwanted Programs

- Click 'START'
- Click 'Control Panel'
- Click 'Add Or Remove Programs'
- Select the program you wish to remove
- Click 'Remove' to the right of your selection
- After the program is uninstalled, restart your computer

Step 7: Defragment Your Hard Drive -

- Click 'START'
- Click 'Programs'
- Click 'Accessories'
- Click 'System Tools'
- Click 'Disk Defragmenter'
- Select your hard drive (usually "c:")
- Click 'Analyze'
- An information box will then pop up saying whether or not you should defragement your hard drive
- Choose 'Defragement' or 'Close'
- Restart your computer if you chose to defragment it and after the defragmenting is completed

Step 8: Reinstall Windows -

If you did all of the following steps, and your computer is still slooooowwwwww....try reinstalling your operating system

Step 9: Upgrade your computer RAM -

If your operating system is still slow after reinstalling it, upgrade your RAM

Step 10: Get a new computer -

If your computer is still slow after all of these steps, your computer may be outdated. If you purchased it roughly 10 years ago...then YES IT IS OUTDATED. Do yourself a favor and purchase a new one. Computers are fairly cheap these days due to the fact that almost everybody needs a computer for something or another. Ask somebody in your family that is computer savvy which computer is best for you. They should be able to lead you in the right direction.