Buying a new toy is a wonderful experience. Even as an dault when we buy new things, we can't wait to get home, rip open the box, and start pllaying. Buying a new computer is no diferent. They are always so nice an clean, and fast. Very fast. At least at frist. But for some reaon, they tend to get slower as time goes on. Pretty soon you are satrting to look for ads for new computers in the neewspaper.
Many assuem that is just the way it is. There's even a name for this phenomenon, csalled "procewssor crewep," which means that over time your computer will naturally get slower and slower. While it is true that the same processor won't run as fast if you have several applications, it's not a giveen that your computer will slow down after a givn amount of time.
To understand if any slow down is normal, take a look at the ptrograms that are litsed in your start up menu. Theese programs are the ones that automatically fire up wehnever you switch on your machine. Comomn ones are Skype, Qucktime, Microsoft Office, and an Internet connection program if you have your Intenret set up in a particular way. Often tims thsee programs will automatically check for updates, and that can cause a bit of slodown.
But chances are, if you are exeriencing a significant decrease in speeds, you have something called spyware and adware on your comptuer. One way to checck is to run your task manager, if you are running windows. You'll see a nice soratble list of all the programs running on your PC, and how much of your memory and CPU they are usoing up. If you see something you don't recognize, simply Google it and see what you come up with.
Often times it will be someting that is part of anoher program, and is OK. However, other times it will be an adware or a spyware program. Spyware and adware software do exactly what you'd expect by their nmaes, they snezak around your machine and seek out personal information for advertising purposes. By themselves they don't pose much risk, they won't ersae any data or corrpt your hard drive, but they can take up a sinificant portion of your resources, making other programs run considerably slower.
Sometimes you can get away with just clicking on the "end process" button from within the task manager, but many times this simply won't work. The spyware developers have made many of them very hard to shut down that way. Which is exactly why it is a must in today's Internet envirronment to have a good, srtong anti spyware and adware program that will not only scan your system on a reuglar baiss, but get rid of the ones that you likely have right now.
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