9 Things You Can Do Right Now That Will Improve Your Computer, Without Spending Money

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Whether you have a desktop or laptop, cleaning the outside of your computer is just as important as cleaning the inside. For desktops especially, over time, towers tend to collect a lot of dust and other gunk on the inside. The first step to speeding up your computer, is to clean it. Take a q-tip and brush out vents and get those Doritos out of the keyboard.

Chances are your web browser is a much used program on your computer. Making sure the browser is cleaned often is a simple way to speed things up. By simply clearing out temporary Internet files, cleaning your cookies, and erasing your web browsing history, you're taking a huge step towards speeding up your computer.

"Start up" programs open as soon as you turn on or restart your computer. It's important to know which of these programs are being opened, because often they can slow down your computer.

For PCs:

1. Open the Start menu and type msconfig into the Search box.

2. Click the msconfig search result. The utility will open in a new window.

3. Click the Startup tab. You'll see a list of programs that start when your computer starts.

4. To stop a program from automatically launching when you boot the PC, uncheck the box next to its entry.

For Macs:

1. Head to System Preferences

2. Next, click on "Users & Groups"

3. From there, click the "Login Items" tab near the top of the box.

4. This will list all of the programs that open when you log into your account.

5. To remove unwanted programs click on the item and then click the "-" icon.

6. Close the box and you're done.

As our computers get older, they get filled with files we haven't used in years. It's important to go through all of your files and folders that you haven't opened in a long time and delete files them because they're just clogging up space.

After you've identified and deleted files you don't need anymore, go through again and find the files that don't need on your computer. Use a service like Dropbox or Google Drive and transfer the files that you want to keep but don't need just hanging around. Moving files to the Cloud clears up precious hard drive space and also will speed up your computer. Or buy an external hard drive and place them on there if they're files you really don't want to give up.

Sometimes we get used to using programs just because they're convenient. It's important to figure out if better programs have become available that can take up less space and optimize your computer usage. For example, if you're still using Microsoft Office but only need it to type documents, consider using Google Drive instead. Not only does it get the job done, it also removes unnecessary software that can clog of space.

Paying attention to how your computer is running can give you a good idea of your computer's performance. Having this information can help you to see if there are programs running in the background that are using precious resources you don't need. For example, there are PC widgets that show you exactly how much power your computer is using at a given time. If your simply browsing the web and your computer is running at full speed, you may have a problem. Apple has an entire repository of widgets for the Mac, many of which help you monitor your computer's performance.

Updating software is something simple that can easily be overlooked. Developers and computer manufacturers often send out updates that have bug fixes and optimizations that improve your computer without you have to do much.

Backing up your computer is perhaps the most important thing you can do. While it doesn't necessary "improve" your computer, it gives you peace of mind, in case something out of your control happens like a hard drive failure. There are plenty of programs online and built-in to your computer that help you to easily back up your files.