Windows PC Optimization Tools: November’s Top Picks

With today’s budget crunch, we’re all looking for ways to get a little bit more mileage out of our current PCs. Even though there are some great deals on new systems right now, sometimes the best deal of all is to make the most out of what you already have.

But, what if your computer seems to be giving out on you? It actually may not be as bad as you think. It’s not uncommon for a PC to start getting sluggish over time. There are a variety of things that can cause this to happen, and many of them can be

counteracted with maintenance tools. Most of these tools come bundled with the Windows operating system and are already on your computer.

If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person, John Lister has listed a number of things you can do to improve your PC’s performance in Make an Old PC Run Like New. In this article, John goes into detail explaining how certain processes and files can slow down your computer and what you can do to fix this problem.

In conjunction with John’s tips, dannyhilator has a few of his own which he shares in 10 Tips to Declutter Your PC. Not only does this article give some great advice, but it also includes links to a few free utilities available to help keep your data organized.

If you’re reluctant to try modifying these items on your own or even if you just want to save yourself time, you may want to check into downloading utility software to help you increase your system’s performance. There’s no shortage of such utilities on the market today, so deciding on which one to use can be a bit of a job in itself. However, there are some excellent Bright Hub reviews on these products designed to make your choice a little easier.

In Use WinOptimizer to Speed up and Optimize your PC, sammy reviews the latest release of Ashampoo’s tune up and diagnostic software. This utility might seem a little pricier than some of the others out there, but it does include a lot of extras that make the additional cost worth considering.

An alternative to WinOptimizer that’s a bit less expensive is Uniblue’s SpeedUpMyPC 2009. Although this utility doesn’t have the full range of features available in WinOptimizer, it does contain a number of tools that can increase your computer’s performance in a matter of minutes.

So, if the thought of shelling out several hundred dollars on a new PC is making you cringe, try out some of these other options

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Note from the Managing Editor: Michele is the Contributing Editor for several Computing & Hardware Channels. With expert knowledge of the Windows platform and Microsoft applications, she is a pioneer of the Bright Hub Community and an expert within the field of Computer Technology.