Is there anything more frustrating than working on a computer not working properly or worse yet so slow that it basically isn't working? I know for me it can ruin my day. When your PC begins to down, it can be very frustrating. Fortunately, there are ways to fix this and the luckily they are simple tasks to perform.

Here are five simple computer tips to get your computer running quickly again:

Clean up disk errors: Has your computer abruptly shut down or perhaps a program suddenly crashes? This means there are errors written to your hard drive. After awhile, these errors slow down your computer. Windows comes with a free tool to scan for and fix these disk errors.

Click on the Start Menu, and then on My Computer. Right click on the hard drive and then click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab, and then on Check Now. Make sure all boxes are checked and then click Start. This may take as long as an hour, depending upon disk size and number of errors.

Remove temporary files: When browsing the Internet or running programs, temporary files are created on your hard drive. These files take up disk space which slow down your computer. Remove these files by simply doing the following:

Click the Start Menu, and then My Computer. Right click on the hard drive and click on Properties. Find the Disk Cleanup, check all of the boxes and click OK.

Defragment your hard drive: I don't want to confuse you with all of the technical jargon about why you should defrag your hard drive. However let me tell you that on a Windows PC, it is essential you frequently defragment. Most IT experts recommend at least once a month. Windows systems come with a free utility to defragment your disk.

Automate Windows Update: Microsoft regularly releases patches and fixes to close security holes in Windows systems. I can't explain how very important these are for your computer. Set Windows to download them automatically.