Questions & Answers

Thanks for submitting your questions, we do our best to answer them in a timely manner.

 

Question 1

How does the amount of RAM affect the speed of my computer?

 

Answer:

RAM or random access memory, is a type of computer information storage. RAM allows stored information to be recalled in 'random' order, despite its actual location. This is different from say, a hard drive, which is dependant upon an actual movement of a disk to have information read from it.

If a computer has more RAM, it has the ability to run more programs at once and perform tasks, such as loading programs, switching between programs at a faster rate.

If a computer uses up all of its RAM, it will have to locate RAM from another location on the PC. A lot of times, it will convert a certain amount of hard disk space into what is called 'Virtual RAM'. Unfortunately, this often slows down the PC further and uses up more space on the hard drive.

As a general rule, it's always good to have as much RAM on your computer as it can hold - and you can afford. Its a very good, cost effective upgrade to almost any PC and will go a long way in speeding up a slow computer.

 

Question 2

I downloaded an anti-spyware program from a pop-up window telling me my computer was infected with spyware. Now I seem to have more spyware on my PC than before. Why?

 

Answer:

Unfortunately, you most likely downloaded a program that was actually spyware itself. This is a deceptive tactic used by some unscrupulous companies to fool people into purchasing their software.  Often, the way these programs work is to tell a user their computer is infected with spyware, then they are actually install spyware on a users PC or advise them their computer is at 'high risk' when there hasn't been a spyware scan actually performed on the individuals computer.

The best thing you can do is to go into your control panel and uninstall the program. In addition, install a quality spyware removal software program to remove the spyware that was installed on your PC. Check out our spyware and adware section here for some recommendations of quality anti-spyware software programs.

 

 

Question 3

I have an anti-virus software installed on my PC. Do I need to have an anti-spyware software as well?

 

Answer:

Yes. You need the protection from both viruses and spyware. Some anti-virus software does come with anti-spyware protection as well, but you need to check with the software maker to see if this is the case. Although similar, viruses and spyware are different and both present significant risks to your PC and personal information.

In addition to having both spyware and virus protection, it is highly advisable to use a firewall. Firewalls can come in the form of software - most current operating systems have them (i.e. Windows Vista and Windows 7). In addition, some people prefer to have a hardware firewall as well. Often these are part of a router, whether it is wired or for wireless use (wi-fi). It is best to check in check with the manufacturer to see if a firewall is built in to the particular model you own or are thinking of purchasing.

 

Question 4

I heard it is a good idea to re-start my computer every so often. Is this something that I should be doing?

 

Answer:

Yes. If you happen to be one of those folks who leaves their computer on for days or weeks on end, it is a good idea to reboot your computer system. Why is this a good idea, you may ask? When a computer remains running for long periods of time, temp files can build up on the hard drive and other memory storage areas. When you reboot your computer system, these temp, or temporary files are cleared out, thus allowing your PC to operate at peak performance.

 

Question 5

Can cleaning my email inbox, sent and deleted items help to fix my slow computer?

 

Answer:

It definitely can be a good way to fix your slow computer. This applies to users who have their email stored on their computer system and not those who use web-based email programs, such as hotmail. We all get a lot of emails everyday - a lot of them are spam or something were never going to look at again. Over time these messages pile up and can number in the thousands - especially in the deleted items and sent folders. A good rule of thumb to follow is, unless its an important message, get rid of it and clear out your sent, spam and deleted items folder on a regular basis. You may notice if you have a lot of emails in your various folders, that it can take a while for your email program to load. This is because all of these email messages - including those in your inbox, sent and deleted items folders, have to be loaded into the email program each time it starts up as they have to be ready to be viewed if clicked on. This process can use up a lot of system resources that could be used for running other, more useful processes on your computer.

 

Question 6

Are there any tools within windows to help fix my slow computer?

Answer:

There definitely are some good tools within the Windows operating system that can go a long way in make your computer faster.

These include:

 

1) Disk Defragmenter - when your hard drive becomes fragmented, it diminishes the overall speed of your pc because your pc must search all over the hard drive to find the various pieces of a file or folder. Disk defragmenter, known as 'defrag' to some computer users, puts together fragmented files and folders on one's hard drive. These files and folders are now more neatly stored and organized, without fragmentation - allowing the pc to find them a lot faster and in turn speeding up your pc.

 

2) Disk Cleanup - this tool is useful because it assists one in freeing up space on the hard drive. This program identifies data that can be safely deleted.

 

Disk cleanup has the ability to:

a) Empty the recycle bin

b) Delete installed software programs that are no longer in use

c) Remove temporary internet files (internet files can grow quite large)

d) Get rid of optional Windows parts that you have no use for

e) Eliminate unused system restore points

 

3) Error Checking Utility - this is a special tool for checking the integrity of stored files and folders on your hard drive. As a hard drive is used, it can develop bad sectors. These bad sectors can diminish the speed of your hard drive and make saving files not possible. Microsoft advises folks to use their pc's once s day to use this utility about once a week

 

4) Upgrade operating system - new operating systems run more efficient and generally have numerous improvements over previous versions (the vast majority of the time).

 

Question 7