Don't need to be a whiz for PC upgrade

Years of navigating the cyber jungle that is the Internet begin to take their toll. Additionally, after installing mounds of applications and scrambling the registry, the computer is starting to show signs of aging.

If a new computer is years away, now is the time to wipe the slate clean, refresh that old computer and breathe new life into the old beast.

First, wipe that hard drive clean. A fresh install of the operating system along with reformatting the hard drive will solve almost any computer performance problem. Just be sure to back up the hard drive files first.

Then, locate the operating system disk and key. Big-box stores will charge more than $225 for this type of service in one's home. A quick trip to a search engine and some light reading can save the owner several hundred dollars by performing what is probably one of the easiest computer repair tasks. Just be sure to read a few how-to guides before jumping in.

If top performance is needed, make this an annual habit and incorporate it along with spring cleaning. Proficiency will be gained with experience and it will become second nature.

Next, upgrade the system memory or RAM. It is advisable to visit a company like Crucial Memory, www.crucial.com, which specializes in system memory.

Input the make and model of virtually any computer and the Web site will inform the customer of what can be purchased. Sites like this make system upgrading easy. It takes the worry out of purchasing too much or the wrong part.

One does not need to be a computer whiz to install the RAM either. Some companies will charge you more than $140 to do this simple install. Most computers can be opened in less than a minute.

Then it is a simple matter of releasing any static charge in your body by touching the metal chassis. Remember, static electricity can seriously damage a computer, so be sure to release the charge by touching grounded metal first. Then, pop a couple of plastic tabs out, slide the old RAM out, replace it with the new memory and pop the plastic tabs back. Close up the computer, and the operation is done.

Finally, it is common to feel anxious about damaging a computer. This may prevent one from attempting this simple operation. There are several steps that can be taken to reassure someone of these procedures' simplicity.

Reading about the procedure ahead of time should help to quell the anxiety of performing an operation on one's own device. After repeated attempts at studying the steps involved, examining photos and diagrams, and looking at the inside of one's own machine, it is time to take the final step. Stop reading and start doing. Then, sit back and enjoy the "brand new" computer.