Computer running slow?

Try these:

* Run Defragmenter.

* Clear Temporary Internet Files.

* Empty Recycle Bin.

* Full System Virus scan.

How to Run Defrag on Windows Vista, XP, 2000, ME, 98 & 95

To help keep your computer running well, it is important to run maintenance on parts of it, especially the hard drive. Defragmented files load more efficiently. Defrag should be run at least once per month, to keep things running smoothly.

* The best way to start Defrag is to click the Start Menu, double click on 'My Computer', then right click on the 'C' drive and select Properties from the list that appears.

* From the next menu select 'Tools' and then 'Defragment Now'.

* The Disk Defragmenter screen will now appear. Click on 'Analyze'. This will check your drives and will only take a few seconds. If your result shows a lot of red then click on 'Defragment' to continue. Be warned that this may take several hours so don't run it if you need your computer in a hurry. We recommend running it overnight or before you go to work or school.

* Once completed, shut down your computer and restart. You should find things run a little smoother.

How to Clear Temporary Internet Files

The Temporary Internet Files (or cache) folder contains Web page content that is stored on your hard disk for quick viewing. This cache permits Internet Explorer or MSN Explorer to download only the content that has changed since you last viewed a Web page, instead of downloading all the content for a page every time it is displayed. To delete the files in the Temporary Internet Files folder, follow these steps:

* Quit Internet Explorer and quit any instances of Windows Explorer.

* Click on the Start Menu, click 'Control Panel', and then double-click Internet 'Options'.

* On the 'General' tab, click 'Delete Files' under 'Temporary Internet Files'.

* In the 'Delete Files' dialogue box, click to select the 'Delete All Offline Content' tick box , and then click 'OK'.

* Click 'OK'.

Notes If the Temporary Internet Files folder contains a significant amount of Web page content, this process may take several minutes to complete. An administrator can customise your Temporary Internet Files settings and prevent you from changing them (for example, by removing the General tab from the interface in the Internet Options dialogue box). If you cannot access the Internet Options dialogue box or the General tab, contact your administrator for more information.

How to Empty the Recycle Bin

Before emptying your Recycle Bin, double check there is nothing in there you have accidently put in there or may not permanently want to remove. If there is, then restore it first.

* Double click 'Recycle Bin' on your desktop.

* Click 'Empty Recycle Bin'.