Whether you use Windows or Mac, there are a variety of reasons why an upgrade could boost the performance of your computer. New versions of operating systems are released on a regular basis to eliminate bugs, incorporate improvements and user friendly features, and these can assist performance by enhancing software and hardware compatibility. Generally, your system should work faster and more smoothly. It’s not always an easy process to upgrade your operating system so do use professional computer support services if you have any doubts.

1. Software Compatibility
New versions of software – such as games, office packages, utilities and other software you may use may not be designed for older operating systems. This usually means you won’t be able to install these older programs on your computer at all. Software compatibility can also contribute to speed and stability, making your computer less prone to slowing down or crashing.

2. Hardware Compatibility
New hardware components and computer peripherals are being released all the time. This means operating systems have to keep up with these new hardware types. For example, with the introduction of Windows XP, there was no more need to manually load and install drivers for USB devices, which was required for older versions of Windows.
Similarly, the latest Windows versions, such as Windows 7, automatically detects wireless devices and installs drivers for them without the user having to find and install the driver from a download or CD. Like software compatibility, hardware compatibility makes your computer run more smoothly even when you have a lot of additional hardware or periperals.

3. Better Speeds
Manufacturers know that computer users are looking for better speeds with the same hardware, and so speed is a huge selling point for operating systems. Newer releases will tend to improve operating speeds and cut down processing lag times. Of course your hardware will make a difference but at a general level, newer operating systems tend to bring more effective speeds and capacity for users. Boot and shut down times tend to be much faster too.

4. User Friendliness
Compared to older platforms, you’ll notice that the latest versions tend to be the most user friendly. Menus are laid out in an intuitive and accessible way, and the interface tends to be more attractive. Other than the aesthetic factors, the ease of use will save time and help you adapt to the new system faster.

5. Bugs
Operating systems are updated with free software patches on a regular basis, and as a result, they tend to be less bug prone. Your data and software will run more smoothly and tend to be more secure against unwanted intrusions, such as viruses and worms that are designed to steal your private information. Another factor to consider is that computer software programs cease their operating system updates after a number years so if you’re using a very old version, you won’t be able to access software patches as they will no longer be produced.

6. Stability
In the earliest days of the PC revolution, computers ‘freezing’ or crashing was a common occurrence. This is an indication of how much operating system and software quality has improved in just the past decade.

Newer operating systems do provide higher levels of stability. As the manufacturer has incorporated so much past knowledge about bugs into newer versions, your computer is less prone to crashing, much smarter, and much more stable than before.

In summary, whether you choose to upgrade your system or not is a personal choice. Upgrades can be complicated so it’s best to seek the advice ofcomputer repair professional for a smooth transition to your new system.

There are a number of simple reasons why your computer is slowing down and you can fix them or investigate yourself before calling for computer support. Many people think that their computer is slowing down because it is old, and this is not really the case. Let’s look at some of the situations and reasons why it could be happening.

Surfing the Internet. As you surf the Internet a lot, you will accumulate a lot of information inside your temporary Internet files. If this amount gets too large, it will be taking up space on your computer and you will find that your computer is slowing down, especially if you have been downloading a lot of programs or other data. This can be the first way to slow your computer down. Regularly cleaning your computer through the system tools will solve this problem fast. After deleting old files you will see rapid improvement in your laptop or computer.

Upgrading Your System. Let’s say your laptop was designed for Windows 2000, but you have now installed Windows 7. The newer system is much heavier and intricate than the older system, and as your computer is not designed for it, you will probably find that your computer is much slower. Newer systems require newer computers with more processing power. This is one way that the manufacturers of operating systems force us to upgrade our computers. Your computer is not slowing down because of age, it is slowing down because it has a newer version of the operating system on it.

Virus or Malware. If you are not protected, and even sometime if you are, you will still be looking for computer repairs because your computer has become infected. Some malware and other sneaky programs that entered your computer without your knowledge are getting up to activities that you are not aware of. Therefore, your computer is doing more than you think behind your back. This can cause your computer to slow down.

Lots of Files. Sometimes your computer will use your hard-drive to boost the amount of memory the processor is using, if you do not have much space on your computer, this will not allow the free space on the hard-drive to be used, and your computer will slow down. It is a good idea to keep a reasonable amount of space on your hard-drive, around 20%.

More Files. If you have been saving and doing a lot of work on your computer, even if you have deleted old files, the files are still all on your hard-drive in a messy way. This means a lot of going back and forth to read information for your computer. ‘Defragging’ is when you use the system tools to tidy up your hard-drive, so that information is stored uniformly and makes it easy and faster for your computer to locate it. You should check this regularly as your computer will tell you if it is necessary or not.

Messy System. Even though you have un-installed programs correctly and done everything you should when installing software, there will always be some glitches. There will also be files left around on your system registry. The system registry is like the complicated gears of your operating system engine. If it is messy, it will slow your computer down. You need to get specific software to clean this up or you can do it manually if you know a lot about computers. Even a messy desktop with a lot of items on it will slow your computer down!

If all else fails and you are concerned about your registry, viruses and malware, re-installing your system from scratch and reformatting your hard-drive is the simplest way to know your computer is in the shape that you bought it in. Remember there is rarely anything that will go wrong with your hardware, and the worst case scenario is that you have to put a new hard-drive in.