If your computer is more than a year old, you may start to notice a steady decline in performance—perhaps it's not running as fast as it used to, or your boot times are getting really slow. If you're stuck in this situation, maybe it's time to try some of these tips to boost your computer's performance and get things back the way they were before.

Tips for improving computer performance

Follow these tips and tricks to speed up your PC:

Delete Tmporary Files

There are many reasons why performance can degrade over time, but one of the most common is temporary file buildup. These can be created by apps, browsers, etc, and if not cleaned up regularly, they can really add up. Cleaning up temporary files is one of the best ways to optimize your computer because it can free up a lot of hard drive space.

Get rid of unnecessary software

If you're like most people, chances are you've downloaded a lot of programs and applications to your computer. The problem is that even if you don't use these programs, many of them often run in the background, taking up valuable disk space and processing power from the rest of your computer. It is best to uninstall them to improve the speed of your computer.

Try cloud storage

Cloud storage uses a remote server to store data for you, so it doesn't take up any space on your device. There are many different cloud storage providers, including Apple's iCloud for Mac users, Google Drive for Windows, and Dropbox for Mac and PC.

Keep your desktop clean

The more icons on the desktop, the longer it takes to redraw the desktop each time an application window is minimized or maximized. For a quick performance boost, get in the habit of clearing the desktop before closing or logging out.

Take away

A few simple tweaks and a few minutes of maintenance to your computer every week can lead to huge performance gains. In addition to the tips above, you can run a disk cleanup, check for spyware or viruses, defragment your hard drive, or install an SSD drive. The best part is that you don't need to be a computer expert to make these fixes, so you can easily do it yourself.