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TechGuys report January "e-besity" following festive downloads

THE TECHGUYS REPORT A DRASTIC RISE IN SLUGGISH PCS AND LAPTOPS DUE TO �E-BESITY�

- 70% of January callers to TechGuys helplines report sluggish PCs as digital downloads and storage weigh heavily on PC performance

Waistlines are not the only things that are feeling bloated this January, according to data from the TechGuys. The UK�s digital support service has seen a dramatic rise in the number of PC and laptop owners who are reporting sluggishness on the part of their IT equipment after the festive break. More than 70% of callers to the TechGuys� helplines this January have indicated that their PC is running slowly, something that the TechGuys are attributing to an over-indulgence in downloads.

Many users are advising that their PCs are now taking several minutes to boot up and that routine tasks can be �like finding a pin in a crowded kitchen drawer�, as one frustrated caller described it.

�We�ve definitely seen an increase in what we would describe as �e-besity��, said Tim Fairs, chief communicator at the TechGuys. �When we�ve started to run diagnostics, we�ve seen that many users have downloaded pictures, movies, songs and new software applications, all of which contribute to sluggishness and general digital indigestion.�

The widespread use of PCs to store digital pictures taken on personal cameras are also having a massive impact, say the TechGuys. As camera technology improves, even the cheapest cameras now take substantially better and larger photos than they did as recently as twelve months ago.

The TechGuys are counselling PC and laptop owners to take a couple of very simple actions to get their equipment operating more efficiently.

�It�s like a simple January detox,� said Tim Fairs.

Customers are advised to check the capacity of their hard drives and to check how much space remains available.
The amount of data that we�re storing these days is pretty much growing exponentially. For a PC, having a full hard drive PC is similar to having a full belly. The PC wants to sit back and take things easy. That means that everything takes much longer and that can be intensely irritating.

Other simple measures, such as defragmenting the hard disk, can help to improve the PC�s digestive tract. Adding further RAM or moving files from the PC�s hard drive to another external hard drive can also dramatically improve performance.

Tim Fairs added: �Our appetite for data is growing all the time and many of the things that we download can be stored in such a way that it doesn�t impact the PC or laptop�s performance.�
Software downloads can also create problems. Free or trial software is widely available on the internet and if not handled with care, it can play havoc with the operating system of a PC. Specialist advice can help to ensure that there is little or no impact from new software installations.

The TechGuys have a free PC Detox guide, available at http://support.thetechguys.com/pcdetox.

- Ends – More information:
Hamish Thompson, Twelve Thirty Eight Ltd, 07702 684290

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