Of all the complaints we encounter when interviewing customers that are frustrated with their technology, "this thing just isn't as fast as it it was in the past" is by far the most common conversation topic. Interestingly, I've noticed an influx of new advertisements posing as news articles with titles similar to my own for this post. Many of these advertisements will send the user to a single page advertisement made to look like an article, touting the benefits and ease of use of a single utility, typically some sort of temporary file cleaner or registry optimizer.
Unfortunately, there is no single magic product that will
bring your machine back to the speed you remember the day you pulled it out of the box. Although these products have their time and place, none of them will provide the drastic performance improvement that the typical consumer hopes for at the time of software purchase, especially considering that most consumers typically resort to this sort of solution when it's already too late.
The best way to keep that machine acting like it did when you first pulled it out of the box is as follows:
1)
Start Fresh: Most computers, if they're over a year old, have been heavily used, or have already been infected with a virus (whether being cleaned or not), will need to be sterilized in order to return to the good ol' days. Scheduling an appointment with a qualified technician in order to
make your PC like new will get you off to the right start.
2)
Secure Yourself: Install an up to date copy of a
proven anti-virus/anti-spyware package. We recommend Kaspersky Anti-Virus for consumers, as it has a great track record and is leaner than most of the more popular packages, leaving more of your computer's resources available for doing what you want, rather than gobbling those resources to scan the machine.
3)
Maintain: Schedule regular checkups about every 6 months to make sure that your computer is functioning optimally. Be sure to find a reputable company that
charges a reasonable amount for diagnosis. Beware of companies that do not charge an up-front diagnostic fee. Remember, companies are in business to make money. If they don't charge you a diagnostic fee, chances are they're going to find something expensive that needs "fixing" in order to make a profit.
4)
Get Educated: The most common reasons for return visits to customers within 6 months of a technician visit involve user actions. Whether it's ignoring the warnings from security software, installing untrustworthy programs, downloading illegal music or something similar, most of the return visits that our technicians go on within 6 months can be avoided by education. Feel free to
give us a call or stop in for suggestions for the latest web resources to help you avoid these pitfalls.
Labels: clean my computer, free diagnosis, kaspersky anti virus, michigan computer repair, Michigan IT Services, pc optimizer, pc refresh, registry cleaner, slow computer, slow norton