In this article I will suggest a relatively simple and painless step that will enable you to speed up your windows computer. 

A slow computer can be attributed to many reasons. Lack of computer memory, spyware, viruses, Trojan cluttered computer files. An amalgamation of all of the above will make your computer really slow, and even booting up your computer could take 5 minutes or more.

Lack of Computer Memory or RAM [Random Access Memory] is the first thing you should check for. Yes, having spyware and malware on your computer will slow down your computer, but having insufficient computer memory or RAM is equivalent to driving a car with the handbrake on.

By ensuring you have the correct amount of memory for your installed operating system then you can have a speedy computer. Even adding 256MB over the stated minimum requirements will reap instant dividends. To find out how much memory your computer has right click on the ‘my computer’ icon and on the general tab you should see the amount of RAM that’s installed on your computer. 

The minimum requirements for XP are 128MB [although 256MB is recommended] and Vista Home Basic is 512MB, and Vista Home Premium / Business / Ultimate require 1GB.

Depending on what type of programs you frequently use on your computer, keeping to the minimum memory requirements won’t make your computer fast. It will only allow the operating system to run adequately.

If you have Windows XP, as a minimum I would suggest 512MB and ideally 1GB in memory. For Windows Vista, which is a graphics hungry beast, I would suggest the minimum of 1GB for Home Basic and 1.5GB [ideally 2GB] for Vista Home Premium / Business / Ultimate. 

Computer memory or RAM [Random Access Memory] is relatively cheap and takes only 10-15 minutes to install. Once the extra memory is installed then your computer will operate faster, and ultimately help you use your computer in the manner it was built for. Installing extra RAM is not difficult, although it can be scary to think about opening up your computer if you haven’t done it before.

If your computer is under warranty, maybe you could take it back to where you purchased it and ask them to install the extra RAM you may need. If not, there is plenty of information and even step by step videos of how to install extra RAM available via the Internet. As a last resort maybe you have a friend or family member who could help you?

I would strongly suggest that you install additional RAM if your computer is below the minimum requirements of the operating system you have. If you use graphics programs or other programs that eat up memory, then adding an extra 256-512MB will also help with increasing the speed of your computer. You will notice a difference in speed once you add the extra RAM.