So your computer\u2019s a few years old, and it\u2019s not running as well as it used to. Unfortunately, this happens over time but if you\u2019re not ready to give up on your old computer just yet, these tricks can help you get it running better.<\/p>\n
Perform regular maintenance<\/p>\n
One of the first things to do is a maintenance check, to make sure nothing\u2019s causing your PC to slow down. You\u2019ve probably got a built-in virus scanner, but if not you can get a good one online for free. If it\u2019s just getting old, then this won\u2019t make things start running super-fast, but it will make sure everything is working at its best. When it comes to an older machine, every little helps.<\/p>\n
Use lighter programs<\/p>\n
Some programs, like iTunes, are very big and use a lot of an older machine\u2019s power to run. Older machines can struggle under the demands of these programs, so it\u2019s worth checking if there\u2019s an alternative. If you\u2019ve got an iPhone, you\u2019ll need iTunes to sync your devices, but when it comes to playing music, using a program like Spotify can really speed things up.<\/p>\n
Use older programs<\/p>\n
When there isn\u2019t a \u2018lightweight\u2019 version of the program you want to use, there might be an older version. These are usually smaller programs than their newer versions, because they have fewer features. For example, if you don\u2019t have the minimum system requirements to run Photoshop CS5, you can find a copy of CS4 and use that instead. Usually, the older version will be cheaper too, which is always nice.<\/p>\n
Install a lighter operating system<\/p>\n
One of the easiest ways to improve performance is to install a new operating system altogether. If it\u2019s not something you\u2019re familiar with, we suggest looking up a tutorial, or doing some research first, because it can completely change the way you work. The upside is a major speed boost. Linux is a popular choice, but you\u2019ll want to find something that suits your needs.<\/p>\n
Upgrading your hardware<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve got a bit of money to spend on improving your computer, but don\u2019t want to buy a new one, then upgrading the hardware is a good option. It\u2019s not always possible on certain laptops and desktops, but you should still be able to upgrade the RAM and the hard drive as a minimum. RAM can give you a boost in some areas, but you\u2019ll see the most benefit from upgrading the hard drive to an SSD (solid state drive).<\/p>\n
Repurposing old kit<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a few things you can do to keep your old computer in use. The smaller it is, the more options you\u2019ve got. An old laptop could be repurposed into a kitchen helper, being used for videos or recipes while you\u2019re cooking.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, you could turn it into a networked FreeNAS (Free network attached storage) box. This is basically a storage box that\u2019s attached to your network, and any computer on that network can see the files on the NAS. It\u2019s a great option for bigger households, or just when you don\u2019t want to store a bunch of external drives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So your computer\u2019s a few years old, and it\u2019s not running as well as it used to. Unfortunately, this happens over time but if you\u2019re not ready to give up on your old computer just yet, these tricks can help you get it running better. Perform regular maintenance One of the first things to do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1666"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1666\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.notebookbattery.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}