There is nothing worse for business than a slow PC. A languid computer can cause stressed out employees, a delay in productivity and result in some very frustrated customers. It is often assumed that a slow computer is simply the result of a slow internet connection and many a customer service representative has been yelled at based on this assumption. However, there are many things that can cause a computer to run slowly.

Run Regular Virus Scans
Sure, your company has the all the necessary virus protection and all of your employees are forbidden from surfing the net. However, new virus happen every day and there are dozens of ways a computer can become infected. A worker can download a virus from doing nothing more than opening a file on an email or clicking on the wrong link on the internet.
It is very important to run regular virus scans. Not only can a computer get a virus, but the virus can also contain spyware. Although a virus might not be that hard to get rid of, spyware can cause a major security breach. Once a company’s security is compromised its customer’s information may be at risk.
A security breach can cost a company millions of dollars as it will have to pay for someone to notify all of its customer and pay for the customer’s security monitoring. Not only is a security breach expensive, but it can do irrevocable damage to a business’ reputation.

Make sure the hard drive is clean
If a computer has less than 25% free space, it is very possible that it is a cluttered hard drive that is making it run slow. Companies will want to uninstall old unused programs or programs that do not work very well.  A clean computer can read and write information much faster than one that is overstuffed with useless data.

Purchase a Solid State hard drive
Although it may seem a tad extravagant, a solid state drive can make a major impact on the speed of your computer. The solid state hard drive is an inventive device that contains no disk or drive. It is a system that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data steadfastly. A solid state drive is faster, lighter and more energy efficient than other drives. An SSD has access speeds of 35 to 100 micro-seconds, which is about a hundred times faster than any other drive.

Install More RAM
Although it may seem old school, extra memory still does the trick. Now a days businesses are very dependent on multi-tasking and multi-tasking can involve many employees using many programs at once. If your computer is flickering and running slowly it may be because you simply don’t have enough RAM.
Employees will also be able to do research must faster on a computer with more RAM. The internet will run faster and more smoothly with extra memory.

Take a good look at your browser
Something as simple as your internet browser can slow down your PC considerably. There are a few simple ways to clean up a browser such as getting rid of browser extensions.
A company should take inventory and find out which extensions its employees actually use and how much they need each extension. It is also a good idea to erase browsing history on a regular basis.

Have a good IT company on retainer
A truly professional IT company can make all the difference in having a faster more efficient computer. It is best to use a local IT company that understands small business and the industry in which a company operates.
Metro’s IT Consultant team can assist you with speeding up your computer and other IT needs.   Call us today for a free network assessment our number is, 559-492-5985.