Sometimes, amidst the madness of creating spreadsheets, editing video, or updating our favorite social networks, we forget that our PCs are machines that need to be maintained regularly. Without regular checkups, PCs will eventually slow to a crawl and feel like they're quickly becoming geriatric. But with some active effort, we can prevent them from aging quite so quickly, and keep them running at peak performance.

Some key ways to improve your PC's performance are: defragmenting your hard drive; cleaning up your registry; and eliminating spyware and viruses that seem to slip onto every machine unnoticed.

Over time, your hard drive will scatter parts of files all over the place and will slow down its performance. Defragmenting the drive will reorganize the files into a neat pattern and will boost the drives' access time, meaning you can get speeds that will remind you of the day your first bought the computer.

A task largely ignored by most computer users, cleaning up the registry will result in much improved performance. The registry is essentially a list of commands and functions that is constantly being updated and edited by your computer. Over time, uninstalled programs and deleted files will leave orphaned entries in the registry, which your PC will continue to read even though they are now irrelevant.

Perhaps the most common problem your computer will encounter is that of spyware and viruses. Constant Internet usage leaves your system very vulnerable to those virtual pests and, without knowing it, you may already have more on board than you imagine. Spyware and viruses can be very malicious and put your data at risk.

It's possible to complete all these tasks with just the sweat of your brow and the utilities that came pre-installed on your computer. But the reality is that there is high-quality, low-cost software that can get the job done quicker and better, and free up your time for more pleasant pastimes.

An advanced program like Avanquest's Disk Accelerator Pro® will do wonders for your computer. Not only will it rearrange all those file fragments in a single location, speeding up your PC and making it run like new again, it will keep track of them and defrag your drive automatically so it won't slow down again.

A program like Uniblue's Registry Booster will scan your registry and fix errors that may prevent your computer from running properly. After having outdated information fixed and obsolete errors removed, your PC will be more stable and error free.

Max Secure's Spyware Detector is an effective spyware detector and can effectively remove the spyware currently on your system. It also keeps track of new spyware, blocks the installation of more and actively protects your computer from active malicious processes – all while helping your PC running smoothly.

These are just a few simple ways to optimize your PC's performance but they illustrate the point that taking an active role in maintaining your system will keep it from slowing down to a snail's pace. More importantly, being aware of what's on your computer can also keep you and your valuable data safe.