It happens almost every time, doesn’t it? You get a brand new lightning fast PC (OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it’s fast enough) and within a few months your PC is already noticeably slower. In frustration you suspect something nefarious like a virus or spyware. You buy the latest and greatest virus and spyware removers, and they don’t find anything. The problem persists. You suspect that perhaps you’ve installed too many programs, so you go through and remove the ones you don’t really need. This might help a little, but not enough, your PC still feels slower. What is the cause, and what can you do?

PC slowness due to a hidden culprit.

I’m about to shine the light on a hidden yet frequent cause of PC slowness. If it’s not a virus or spyware causing your slowness, it’s most likely the Windows registry. You’re forgiven if you’re not familiar with the registry. The Windows registry is one of the most important, yet mysterious elements of Windows. Simply put, the registry is Window’s configuration database. Every time your PC boots up, Windows reads through the registry to find out information about itself. In fact, Windows cannot load without the registry. The registry is where your personal settings like wallpaper and screen saver are stored. Every time you install a program, hundreds, if not thousands of new entries are added to the registry. So, it’s no exaggeration to say that the registry is one of the most important components of Windows.

OK, but how is the registry responsible for your slow PC?

Bloated Registry = Slow PC

Well, remember that the registry is read during every boot up. Naturally the more items there are to read, the longer this process takes. Windows also loads a portion of the registry into memory, another thing that can slow you down. However, one of the biggest causes of registry bloating are the unneeded entries that are created when you install programs. But what a minute, didn’t you uninstall several programs in an effort to speed things up? That’s part of the problem; many programs will leaves traces or entries in the registry even when they are removed. The registry itself has no mechanism to automatically remove these entries - so, your registry just continues to grow and your PC grows steadily slower.

The good news is that there’s a quick fix available.

How to speed up your PC in as little as 5 minutes.

The only way to thoroughly clean your registry is with a registry cleaner. This is a program specifically designed to scan and repair registry problems (things that will eventually cause actual error messages). They will also look for old and unneeded entries that should be deleted. Usually in 5 minutes or less, your registry will be cleaned and your PC performance will be like new. There are many registry cleaners available and they range in price. However, when it comes to something as critical as your registry, you don’t want to use anything but a top quality program with a solid reputation. Expect to pay $30-50 US for a good cleaner. It’s a very small price to pay for the amount of time and frustration this handy tool will save you. Your PC will thank you!

Click here to download Regcure, our favorite Registsy Cleaner and PC optimizer.

Your PC could be target for net-prowlers as it is a storehouse of information. They look for your personal information details that could be manipulated for their own benefits. If you are storing your credit card and bank account details it could be disastrous as these malicious efforts are intended to break into your security systems gather those information to use your money.

Moreover these imposters are not satisfied only with your money. They are always looking for resources like your high-speed connection (cable and DSL modems), processor and the hard disk space to store their information. It is very difficult to trace the source of intrusion and prosecute them.

These net prowlers are quite aware of the fact that Home PCs are the most unsecured systems to allow them a free trespass. Most of the antivirus kits are not effective enough to scan for spyware and adware, most machines do not have strong firewall protection and most home PC owners never think of buying separate spyware and adware kits. So a home PC is paradise for malware to breed and promulgate their contagion efforts.

Many PC owners are never aware of these facts even much after their PC information is stolen and files infected. Intrusions can take place through emails (send and received), downloading songs, movies, browsing unknown sites, surfing the net indiscriminately and also from known reputable sites which seem to be very unfortunate to users and leaves then perplexed about the issue of security.

Once your computer becomes their ‘cozy nook’ they will create programs run these, install new programs, eat up your hard disk space, corrupt your memory and drive you crazy to locate what is actually going wrong with your machine. You need to develop a special checklist to ensure that your PC is guarded from these spiteful efforts. You need to read more about the kinds of potential threats that can corrupt your machine.

Just as you think of protecting your home by insuring it or installing various safety devices to prevent trespasses even when you are out, your computer demands similar security systems that inaccessible to intruders.

Protect your computer with a strong password that is difficult to guess. Your password is the key to access to your mails and instant messaging servers. Your passwords should be strong enough to make the hackers very unhappy. Change your passwords as soon as possible. If you can’t remember them make a notebook to document these regularly in a hardcopy.

Avoid reading mails from unknown individuals. Always use the servers that are guarded with spam filters are the servers that provide an initial virus screening before sending mails to your inbox like Yahoo, Google etc.

Add strong software and hardware firewalls and always ensure that your firewall is on when your computer is running. A firewall is your security guard that shields and protects your home PC from the files and programs that enters your PC from the net. It controls the acceptance of traffic that is routed from the net. It also controls the programs and allows their connectivity to the net ensuring proper security. There are free as well as commercial firewall products available.

An antivirus program, patches and file encryption and cleaning your registry logs to ensure primary level security are absolutely indispensable. If you are a heavy internet user then installing a malware kit is mandatory. Adaware and Xoftspy (direct download link) are some spyware scanning devices that will ensure this task successfully.

Suppose you want to market or promote your products and services using your computer as a tool to reach out to as many prospects as you can. As an aggressive marketer you will always want your PC to be optimized for the best performance so that you can optimize your target reach out. Your computer supports the basic infrastructure that is required to achieve this network. Internet actually is the tool that makes this network available to you.

When you are browsing and surfing a lot, or even receiving emails from unknown persons there is no guarantee that your computer is fully protected from virus and spyware that are transferred into your PC conveniently. Your antivirus kit might not be equipped enough to scan for all viruses. What about other safeguards like firewall protection and antispyware? If you do not have all the above three fine-tuned in a way that make your system almost formidable, then you cannot protect the basic infrastructure from damage.

So it is mandatory to prioritize the protection and safety of your computers to ensure that your computer operates perfectly. There are websites on the net that specializes on internet security. You can seek expert advice and use links that can tighten your system security by identifying the loopholes and running the exact applications required.

You have to be extra cautious before you open an email from an unknown person. This is especially true for those which carry attachments. Most popular servers like Yahoo, Google scan these attachments before opening, but this is limited to known viruses.

It is best to develop your exclusive domain name and IP address and work out proper security systems to protect your system. If you are promoting an online business having an exclusive domain name and customized security options often helps in creating your separate and exclusive identity.

There are a range of software and security products available through the internet to ensure the security measures in your computers. You have to go through these various options to understand their functioning and decide which one will be suitable for you.

In general an anti virus kit, ad ware and spyware protection and a strong firewall protection option can save your computer from most of the malicious efforts on the net. It is always better to choose these from reputed sites that are time tested and dependable. Otherwise these will eat up a lot of space in your computer but not serve the actual purpose.

Adaware 6.0, CWShredder, Spybot S&D, Xoftspy (direct download link) from Paretologic are few such kits that shield your PC from malware. Your antivirus kit is only scanning for known viruses and will not be effective for malware that enters your PC while downloading or visiting any internet site. Malware can be downloaded unintentionally from various sites which you actually think to be most reliable. Most of the adware and spyware enters your PC while downloading, songs, movie clips or from pornographic sites.

These malware will steal your personal information and change your browser and PC settings. Always budget for an anti spyware kit a strong firewall and a registry cleaner along with your antivirus toolkit that you secure.

Securing you PC from unknown threats and malware will ensure better PC performance and productivity and a long, healthy life for your PC.