What helps, and what is sold to you
Do the four free things that genuinely speed a computer up, and refuse the ones that are sold to frightened people.
There are four things worth doing, and they are all free.
The same goes for anybody who telephones about your slow computer. Nobody can tell from outside your house that a machine is running slowly. The last lesson in this course is about exactly that call.
Key points
- Do the four free things that genuinely help
- Tidy the start-up list, knowing nothing on it is required
- Refuse cleaners, boosters and anybody who calls you up about your slow computer
What to remember
- Nothing in the start-up list is required. Switching one off delays it until you open it yourself — which for most of them is never.
- A free scan that finds thousands of problems has found ordinary leftovers. The remedies that work are free or physical.
Try this
Look at your own start-up list. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc and choose the Start-up tab; on a Mac, System Settings, then General, then Login Items. Switch off anything you do not open daily. All of it goes back on as easily.
Practice: What helps, and what is sold to you. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.