What steps should I take to keep my PC running fast?

1. Regularly Clean Your System: A cluttered and disorganized system can slow down performance significantly. Perform periodic disk cleanups, uninstall any unnecessary programs, and ensure your recycle bin is emptied regularly.

2. Defragment Your Hard Drive: Fragmentation occurs when files are broken up and stored in multiple places on a hard drive instead of being stored in one continuous block of space. This can cause data access to slow down, so it’s important to regularly defragment your hard drive to keep it running efficiently.

3. Keep Your Software Updated: Outdated software can be vulnerable to malware and security exploits. Keeping software updated ensures you have the latest security fixes and enhancements.

4. Close Unnecessary Programs & Services: Running unnecessary programs or services in the background can take up valuable system resources and slow down your PC. Close any programs or services that you don’t need running.

5. Scan for Malware: Malware can cause serious performance issues for your PC. Use an antivirus program or online scanning service to scan for and remove malicious software.

6. Upgrade Hardware: If your PC is older and still running the same hardware, you could benefit from upgrading the processor, RAM, or graphics card. Upgrading hardware can improve system performance and speed.

7. Disable Startup Programs: Many programs will set themselves to launch automatically when Windows starts. This can slow down your startup time and reduce available RAM. Use the Task Manager to disable any unnecessary startup programs.