5 ways to make your computer faster

At London Data we often have clients asking for advice on how to improve the speed and performance of their computer. In most cases, a few simple measures can make a noticeable difference, and the five ways described here are part of best practice daily management of any workstation.

1. Save your files onto the server instead of on your desktop or in My Documents, making sure they are on the correct drives and in the proper folders, so you can easily find them again. This saves disk space and ensures that the files are part of the company data backup.
2. A clear folder structure will make it easier to find files, and will reduce the risk of duplicating or losing documents.
3. Some programmes are set up to start when the computer is turned on meaning that they will slow down the whole start up process. Turn off automatic start-up of programmes such as Skype, Messenger etc. and schedule your daily virus scan for the lunch break instead.
4. Have regular tidy-ups of files and folders making sure you archive or delete items you no longer need. Also remember to empty the recycling bin as well as the deleted items folder in Outlook. In addition, every time you open a document online, a copy is stored in your Downloads folder on your local drive, go through it regularly and delete what you no longer need.
5. Uninstall any excess programmes you have no longer have a need for e.g. expired trial versions of programmes. Make sure the system does not need the programme. Open your control panel, go to programmes, then right click and click uninstall.

These steps will clear disc space, and reduce the risk of the computer clogging up trying to do too much at the same time.