This is a common question that people seem to ask. The solution can vary depending on the problem.

Follow up:

Lets distinguish what exactly is going slow on your computer. Try opening a program you haven opened in a while. Maybe another web browser you stopped using and time it if you want. Open that program again. Notice anything different? The program started up faster the second time. That is because the program is in memory.

Computer Memory Problem

Computer memory, or RAM to be specific, is what stores all the data of open programs and currently running software. When you have a lot of programs open you can exceed your computer's memory. The computer will compensate for your demands by using the hard drive to do all of its "thinking". When a computer does this it is said that the computer is using its Virtual Memory.

Today's standard for RAM capacity is about 1gb (1024mb) or more. If you have anything less than this you might as well upgrade the ram or the entire computer to a higher capacity of ram to meet your demands. To identify if you need more ram you can refer back to a previous blog post:
Do I need more RAM?

Other Considerations of Computer Speed

At this point, if you have determined that the computer does not need more RAM, many people will assume that it is a symptom of adware, spyware, or viruses. There is little reason to believe this yet if you or anyone else who uses your computer does not do any P2P file sharing.

System Restore Factor

So let us try something else. On most computers, System Restore is turned on. By default Windows XP will have this be turned on. What this does is record changes over time that happen on your computer. This process can take up a lot computer resource. I find it a great idea to turn it off. To do this you click the Start button, "right-click" My Computer, "left-click" properties, and you will see a new window. Now click the System Restore tab and turn System Restore off.

These are the main steps to improving a computers speed. There are tweaks out there on the Internet but some can jeopardize your security because some security features do take up computer resources.

One More Try...

If you have followed the steps above and got success then congratulations! If your computer is still not running well there is one more thing. It requires a little more computer experience and a little research but it involves reinstalling your operating system. If you have a Windows XP disk you can erase your hard drive (repartition) and install windows again.

Before you do this there are some important considerations. Make sure you back up all your files. This means pictures, music, documents, website bookmarks, and applications.

Youtube has some good howto videos on how to reinstall your OS. Try searching for "how to reformat your hard drive", "how to reinstall xp". You will also need to locate the drivers CD that came with your computer. If not, you will need to find the website of the manufacturer of your computer or the manufacturer of your motherboard. On that website you can navigate to a support tag and download drivers.

Drivers are basically software components that "drive your hardware". They tell your OS how to run hardware on your computer. Make sure identify a driver CD or put the drivers on a CD. If you have a SATA hard drive you may need a floppy drive to install the drivers for your hard drive. You may wonder why you cannot use a CD it is because when you install the driver you are limited to the A drive.

If you are still unsure how to reinstall your OS you can do a little more research on the topic by searching for how to reinstall windows or you can hire someone to do if for you but these are all basic considerations when you computer is going slow. So the next time you ask the question, "why is my computer going slow?" you will know how to fix it!