Computer thrashing is an issue that some may face when the excessive interchanging of pages of data between memory and the hard disk cause the computer to make excessive noise and the light to constantly blink. Simply put, it means that you are trying to do more tasks than your computer has physical memory to perform.

One of the ways to reduce thrashing is to add more memory to your computer so it has more room to perform tasks. Simply find out the make and model of your computer and order memory online or visit a brick and mortar store. You will want to get the most memory that will fit in your specific system. If your computer will take 4gb of memory, purchase that size. You never want to get a smaller size just to save money.

Running programs from a CD-Rom instead of installing the program to your hard drive can free up space as well.

If you are running Vista on your computer, a program that uses excessive memory and can cause thrashing, you can turn off and disable Windows Vista Search Indexer and Indexing Service. This can be done through your control panel by selecting the start button and locating the Windows Search service. All this will do is make it harder to find files on your system but if you know where you put things then it’s not an issue. Plus, this service can be turned back on at a moment’s notice if needed. This should cut down on some of the noise and lag you are experiencing.

You can always add another hard drive to your computer that can be used for temporary files and virtual memory.

Not only will these tips help reduce thrashing, they will also prolong the life of your hard drive.