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When you buy a new PC the chances are there are a load of programs pre-installed onto it. Old PCs can simply accumulate these over time. Most of these you'll never use and some of them can often run in the background without you knowing, slowing your computer down in the process.

To remove these click "Start" then go to "Control Panel" then click "Programs and Features" and scroll through the list, uninstalling the ones you never use.

If you're unsure what should stay or go, use PC Decrapifier - a free piece of software that recommends what is worthwhile or not.

4. Get More Hard Drive Storage

No matter if you keep your computer tidy, if your hard drive becomes too full, it will affect the speed of your PC. If you use your system for processor-heavy tasks, such as recording video and media the likelihood will be that your drive will get chokka before you know it. Nowadays you can get mega storage drives over 1TB which is good for thousands of HD movies.

Whenever you switch on your PC some programs will automatically start to run in the background. Things like Skype and Spotify are guilty of this. All the applications running will use your computer's memory so ditch the ones you don't need running.

To do this click Start and type "Run". In the box that appears type "msconfig" and a box will appear, at the top click the "Startup" tab listing all the applications that run when your computer starts up. Either manually untick the ones that are unnecessary or click "disable all", but be sure to keep vital things like antivirus going.

Don't be scared by the description, it's essentially a way to optimise your hard drive's efficiency.

To do this go to "My Computer", right-click on the hard drive and select "Properties". Under the "Tools" tab there should be an option to "Defragment Now".

8. Run a disk clean-up

To perform this click "Start" then go to All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup

9. Vacuum out the dust From Motherboard

If you open up your PC and you won't believe how much dust gets sucked into it through the cooling fan. Dust can clog airflow, which is vital to keeping your system temperature down and if it overheats, its performance will slow.

Use a vacuum on a low setting to clean out the insides, but ensure the PC has been off for at least 30-minutes and it's disconnected from the mains. Also, go easy when you're poking around in there as you could dislodge some important cables.

Simple advice, but most effective if you've got a PC that should be cashing-in its pension. With the rise of tablet PCs and the low cost of components, prices of new laptops and desktop computers are so much more affordable than years ago. Save yourself a heap of trouble and think about it.